The Fading Gray
by bittersweet dreams
Summary: Sometimes, things aren't as simple as black and white,so what about those who fall in between? This is a story about those who walk the thin line, how they meet and consequently, split. Allen x Rhode
1. Chapter 1

AN: Uh, first D.Gray-man writing I've ever did, so please be nice? I think it goes without saying that I don't own DGM or any of the characters.

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**The Fading Gray**

_--Imaginary end of the " Downloading of Noah's Ark" ark. (chapters 89-present)

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_

Rhode stared out of the window, idly playing with a piece of candy. A sad smile spread across her face when she felt Jasdebi disappear from the second room. "Goodbye, Jasdero, Debibi," Rhode whispered, feeling for the second time of her existence the tears brimming at the bottom of her eyes. Sheer female will power forced her tears away, Noah's weren't suppose to cry, after all.

"So, Jasdebi couldn't finish the job, huh?" Tiki muttered, his right index already brushing away the ears. " I guess I'm up next."

Rhode turned towards her only brother left, a pout spreading across her features. "That's not fair, Tiki! I want to have some fun too!"

"We have about 20 minutes till we have to go. Only one of us-"

"That's why I'm going. You always get all the fun. It's my turn. " Rhode interrupted, marching towards the door.

"Absolutely not. You know very well that your part in the Earl's plan is the most important. What the Earl would do to me if-"

"That's not true. You're job is just as important as mine, and your job is more fun! Besides, I'm the one that made up this game, I should get to play it too." Her arm made for the doorknob.

"Rhode, wait!" Tiki shouted, receiving only a dull glare for the girl. He stopped his thinking process the moment he saw what was in Rhode's seemingly dead eyes. Sighing, he agreed. " I'll call you five minutes before we have to leave."

Rhode grinned. " You're the best, Tiki!" And she ran out the door.

_Rhode… was that just guilt I saw?_

--

"Hey, how much time do we have left?" Ravi asked, trying to keep up with the rest of the group while supporting the severely injured Aleister.

"Not long, I'd say. We're already near the top," Rinali replied, glancing back to see how far behind they were.

"Let's try this door, " Allen suggested, taking out the key. He poked it into the keyhole and turned. Next he pushed the doorknob but…

"The door won't open."

"That can't be right. That Noah said it can open all the doors here. "

"Let me try" Ravi offered, leaving Aleister leaning by the wall opposite. He walked over, twisted the knob and pulled. The door didn't budge. "Maybe it needs to be pushed instead, " he muttered. Still the door didn't open. Angry now that the door wouldn't wok, and knowing that time was running out, he grabbed his hammer. "That's it. If this door doesn't open, let's smash it!"

His hammer grew to an enormous size.

"Wait!" Allen and Rinali yelled together. "Maybe the door isn't suppose to open!" Allen said, while holding Ravi back.

"That door won't open no matter what you do."

The group stopped their argument at the sound of the voice. "But you can attack it as much as you want." The voice continued, a shadow of a giggle laced with that last phrase.

"Who's there?" Allen asked, his anti-akuma weapon already activated. To answer his question, the ceiling ripped apart, displaying a purplish-pink area.

"Hello, Allen." Rhode jumped down from the hole, not caring that her skirt blew up and gave everyone a shot in the process. A smirk was on her lips.

"Who's that little girl? Another Noah?" Ravi asked Allen, standing right beside him.

"Yeah, we met during a mission Rinali and I had together."

"Glad to know you still remember me, Allen." Rhode commented, her smirk now a smile. She turned to Ravi and bowed. "Rhode Camelot, nice to meet you, exorcist."

"Enough with the formalities, what do you want?" Rinali demanded, glaring at the younger girl, she had yet to forget the harm done onto her, Allen and Miranda during their last meeting.

"I want to play, why else would I be here?" Rhode answered, dead-panned. With a swing of her left arm, the tower disappeared, replaced with a dark room, lighted only by floating candles. The rest of the group, except for Rinali and Allen glanced around, confused at the sudden change of scenery.

" Where are we?" Ravi asked loudly.

"If you want to go back, you'll have to get past me." Rhode answered, staring at Ravi. " But who knows how the tower will be when we finish?" she laughed.

"Enough of this!" Allen yelled, rushing towards the Noah with his left arm ready. Rhode easily dodged his attack with a quick jump. "How eager you are, Allen." With a flick of her right hand, the floating candles nearest her started flying towards the boy like arrows. Allen deflected most of them with his left arm, while some pierced his right arm. Allen yelled in pain as the candles tore through his skin. He bent collapsed under the pain, on his knees as his anti-akuma weapon transformed back into hands, which he used to pull the candles out. Rhode watched with him with disappointment. " Aw, done already?"

Allen glared at the girl in response, and slowly got up. But before he could even activate his weapon, Ravi already jumped in, his hammer glowing as he summoned his fire seal. Once again, Rhode dodged the attack, spinning around gracefully as she jumped away from the giant hammer. The Noah winked at Ravi, tongue sliding across her bottom lip. "Nice try, Bookman apprentice."

"How did you-" Ravi never got the chance to protect himself from the needles Rhode threw at him. Fortunately, Allen ran in, his weapon blocking the attack. "Allen!"

Allen smiled at Ravi. "Ready?" To that, he received an energetic nod, and turned to face Rhode, a determined stare.

"Oh? You've decided to fight humans as well as akuma, Allen? What an improvement!" Slowly, her face darkened, as seven crosses appeared on her forehead. Another flick of her wrist and a barrage of candles came flying at the two exorcists.

"I've decided Noah aren't humans. Where I will fight for Akuma and human, I will not fight for Noah. You are in a space between the two." He and Ravi both jumped, avoiding the attack.

"Hmm? How nice, us Noah have a group all to ourselves!" Rhode exclaimed, a jack-o-lantern grin on her face. In a flash, she disappeared, and reappeared behind Ravi. He couldn't dodge the nail she stabbed in his arm, nor the kick aimed at his gut. Despite being a small girl, Rhode could hold her own in a physical fight. Ravi fell unconscious, Rhode's kick having landed on his solar plexus. "You're next, Allen" Rhode warned, in a singsong voice. She glanced back at the three others of the group; Rinali, Aleister and Shaoji, deciding they were already too weak to even play with.

Rhode made her way towards Allen, her right arm across her chest, holding something out. A small movement, and long, thin needles were thrown towards Allen. He blocked them with his weapon, obscuring his view from the already gone Rhode. He couldn't escape from her kick. Allen felt himself pushed forwards from the kick at his back, but before he fell, he jumped. Regaining balance, he lunged at Rhode with his right arm, ready to punch. She dodged it, but missed the anti-akuma weapon. Quickly, she shut her eyes, preparing for the pain of the weapon making contact with her chest.

Allen stopped just as the tip of his fingers touched the girl's shirt. A voice rang through the room. "Time, Rhode."

Rhode sighed, but soon her smirk appeared again. " Game over, Allen." She jumped up and flipped behind Allen, a portal opening behind her. "Rhode! Get back here!"

"Ne, we'll play again, Allen. Exorcists are fun toys. Bye" She turned around and walked through the door.

Her door disappeared, and suddenly the room began shaking. "Crap, her power." Allen muttered, rushing to get Ravi and him back to the group. The walls began to go.

And then, Allen fell.

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AN: Well, how was it? Fighting scenes are the death of me. . And yeah, I know "official" spellings of names are Road Camelot and Linalee, but I like Rinali and Rhode more. Gives them more character or something. Please review! Critisms are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Love to all those who's read this, and even more to those who reviewed! D Goes without saying that I don't own D.Gray-man

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The Fading Gray- Chapter 2

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"_**Hmm? What have we got here? That exorcist didn't die, hub? He'll make a great doll then!" **_

--

Allen stared at the ceiling of his room, illuminated by the rising sun. They were back at headquarters now, with all the generals found, save the last: Marian Cross.

**Nearly two weeks have past since that battle in Japan**

Allen stayed in his bed, under the warmth of his comforter. For all the exorcists, today was an important day. They were all given day offs for this special occasion.

**When we left Rhode's room, we landed back on Japan. It was Miranda, the General and the other two exorcists that found us. We left immediately for Headquarters.**

Allen tossed and turned on his bed; his mind refusing him the sleep his body yearned for.

**It was determined that Kanda couldn't be found anywhere. Rinali and the rest of us thought he was missing and begged for the ship to turn back.**

Over at another wing of Headquarters, Ravi had already risen, staring out at the sunrise. He wasn't wearing his exorcists clothing, but was dressed all in black just the same.

**Miranda later told us that Kanda had been killed during battle. She could feel our heartbeats due to her Timeheal.**

Miranda was up as well, though instead of enjoying the sunrise, she was cleaning her grandfather clock.

**Quite frankly, we didn't believe it. Even now, I still can't.**

Komui and Squad Leader Reever had left the science department, as did some others that didn't have too much to work on.

**Everyone's injuries have healed. Even Rinali's legs are working again. Now she can walk around without anyone's help.**

Rinali took one last glance at herself in the mirror on her desk before she left her room, walking slowly, but surely, down the stairs.

**We've given up finding Master. It's concluded that he's off to destroy Noah's Ark. So until the science team has figured out where that is, our mission is dismissed.**

Allen had forfeited the battle against his mind, opting to prepare for the day. Already dressed, he ran a comb through his hair a couple of times, took his coat and was out the door.

"Ah, Rinali!"

The female exorcist smiled, leaning against the wall for a little support. Allen quickened his steps, not wanting Rinali to use all her energy by waiting for him. " Thanks for waiting." He said, apologetically.

She shook her head, dismissing the matter. "Morning, Allen. Are you ready?"

**We all miss Kanda. For a while, none of us would talk, and we scared the rest of them back at home. After all, it was as if we had sent him to his death.**

Allen gave a small nod, and the two continued down to the main church building, the pace set by Rinali.

"Yo, you guys made it just in time." Ravi yelled, when Rinali and Allen arrived. Already there was Bookman, Komui, Reever, the three generals, some members of the science team and the rest of the exorcists still alive. Today was an important day, it was one of the few days scheduled for the members of the Black Church to pay their respects to their fallen comrades, exorcists or finders. At the moment, Ravi, Rinali, Allen, General Tiedor and the two exorcists that were in Kanda's group were surrounding his coffin. Even though no body was found, a sarcophagus was still reserved for the exorcist, his name engraved in silver letters on the lid.

_Hey Yuu. How are ya? I hope heaven or wherever you are is suiting you. But how cruel you are, leaving the rest of us exorcists to fight in the war. You were always selfish and cold like this. Ah, but I guess you really wanted to fight too, huh? And you never fulfilled your dream or whatever it was you told me back when we first joined…_ Ravi had a hand on Kanda's coffin. He, like Rinali and Allen didn't believe that Kanda was dead, but the facts were staring him in the face, and facts meant everything to a Bookman. He smiled nostalgically down at the structure under his hand and his eyes burned, though tears were already beyond him.

_Kanda… _Allen began, pausing as he composed his thoughts. It was the first time he had a fallen comrade, the first time someone he knew died due to fighting for the same cause he was; the first time his teammate had died. _We never really got along, and even now, I still don't like you. _Allen remembered the first mission they had together, how their values and ideas clashed so intensely and how cold Kanda was to the feelings of the Lala and Guzurou. _But right now, I wouldn't mind if you called me 'beansprout' again. _Allen wouldn't say it, but he increased his daily exercises ever since Kanda had christened him with that nickname, in the hopes of growing taller and getting bigger. _I don't believe that you're dead, Kanda. So hurry up and come back. When you're back, let's have the fight we wanted to have so long ago!_ Allen smiled sadly down at the empty box before he continued further into the room, praying for everyone else's soul to be at peace now that they were in a better place.

--

"Allen, there you are!" Reever shouted behind a stack of books he was carrying. He had spotted the boy coming out from the lounge. "Go to Komui's office, you have another mission." Just as soon as he delivered the message, he was gone, the sound of papers rustling following him.

When Allen entered Komui's office, he was surprised to see that his table was relatively cleared, and the man himself was still awake. "Surprised that my office is so neat? Ah… I was working so hard lately And things were so quiet, we finally had little to do!"

Allen nodded. "That's great!" he exclaimed, walking closer to Komui's desk. After the funeral ceremony, all the exorcists were given an extra two days off; it appeared that the Earl was taking a break himself. "You're mission, Allen, is simple. This is the first outbreak in a while, but it's still fairly tame. Recently in London, many people have been dying suddenly. The finder in charge of that area has confirmed there's two Akuma there. Nothing strange is happening there, so there probably isn't any Innocence. The Earl probably didn't leave a specific job for them. You are to destroy those Akuma. A simple extermination mission."

After two weeks of idleness, it felt good to go out and fight. Allen said goodbye to Komui and headed out towards the Church's underground canal. London wasn't too far away from where Headquarters stood.

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AN: Right so, things are seemingly moving again after the Earl's biggest move since... forever. and I guess the bold is in Allen's POV; I wanted to try a new style. P Kanda's missed by all! (he's not dead, I swear he isnt! rawrz) By the way, does anyone other than me find it interesting how the Church works; like... do they actually hold mass or have a ceremony to pay respects to the dead? I mean, seeing as so many of their members die...

Review please! 3


	3. Chapter 3

AN: School started again, after the exam week, so updates will take longer. Sorry about that.

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who read this story so far, and to the people who reviewed: hugs, kisses and cookies

Disclaimer: Don't own D.Gray-man; not now, not ever.

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**The Fading Gray**

**Chapter 3

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**

_"Hey don't you think it's a weird order from Mistress Rhode?"_

_"Why do you say that?"_

_"It's odd she just wants us to randomly kill. Especially when we're attacking so close to her school."_

_"Well, I don't care. Mistress Rhode is happy with all the destruction and we get to level up."_

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Allen arrived at the surface of London fifteen minutes after leaving. He was surprised to see so many children in uniforms walking around. Up ahead, a clock chimed, signaling 3 o'clock. "So these are students." He walked among them with his hood up as not to attract attention due to his hair. He turned the corner of the street just when he heard a scream from behind.

"M-monster!" a man stuttered, frozen with fear as he witnessed a young lady burned to death. Her ashen corpse fell to the ground beside the man.

"I'm no monster, how cruel." The akuma retorted. "And you'll pay for that insult." He smirked, blowing fire at the man.

The man shut his eyes when he saw the flames aimed at him, preparing for certain death. He waited for what seemed like hours and realized that he wasn't in pain. Glancing up, he saw a boy or a really old man, with white hair and wearing a black coat.

"Go! Run away!" Allen had made it just in time to block the flames from hitting the man. He smiled at him, and the man nodded. He ran the opposite direction, a whispered thank you for the mysterious person who saved his life.

"How troublesome! With him, I could've leveled up." The Akuma complained. "Well, no matter, I'll just kill you instead. I wonder if it's worth double if you kill an exorcist?" There was glee in the monster's eye as he cackled.

"You won't even get the chance to attack." Allen challenged. He jumped up and slashed the akuma with his evolved weapon. Slowly, the soul within left it's cage, smiling at Allen. _There is one more, exorcist._ Allen stared up at the force in alarm when he saw a grosteque figure on top the roof of a nearby store. "Thank you!" Allen followed the akuma.

"You won't get away!" Allen threatened to the figure in front of him. He quickened his pace in an attempt to catch up with the akuma.

"I'm not as stupid as that flame-idiot, exorcist. Besides, I was told to take you somewhere."

"Take me somewhere?" Every part of Allen told him to stop; it was dangerous, it wasn't right. But curiosity got the better of him. He continued to follow the akuma, until they reached the entrance of a cemetery. The akuma stopped in front of a tree. "A cemetery? Why did you bring me here?"

Instead of answering, the akuma turned around and stared at the tree. "Good, now self-destruct."

"But!" A glare the Akuma received.

"Um… Mr. Akuma?" Allen asked, waving his arms to get the weapon's attention.

The Akuma turned around once more, to face Allen. Its face was wiped blank, as it said, "Self-destruct initiated."

"Eh?!" Allen stared at the Akuma, who was standing rigid, with no expression. Something was wrong, but Allen rushed in anyway. Remember what he learned about Akuma from Rhode during their first meeting, he shouted as he lifted his arm and cut the akuma. The soul floated up into the air, smiling. Allen smiled back, before studying the tree. He took a step closer to get a better view of what was hidden further up the branches.

"Hello Allen! You're the same as always!" Rhode was hanging off the branch above Allen, smirking, her skirt flipped over. Allen stared at her for a moment before stepping back. "Um… your skirt..."

Rhode grinned. "What? Does a pair of panties bother the prophesized Destroyer of Time?"

Allen glared at the Noah, dismissing the question. " What do you want, Rhode? It was your plan to lead me here right?"

"How very smart you are." Rhode dropped down and landed on her feet. She gave a wary glance at Allen when he tensed, preparing for an attack. " You can deactivate your weapon, Allen. I'm not going to attack you today. Because I'm still wearing my school uniform, and it's a pain in the ass to clean the blood off from these fabrics."

Allen examined Rhode for a while, recognizing the uniform as the ones the rest of the kids wore when he first arrived. Certain that she wasn't up to anything sneaky, he deactivated his anti-akuma weapon. " You go to school?"

Rhode stared at the boy, then laughed. " Are all exorcists this funny? Why don't you think I go to school? I'm human, after all."

"You still haven't answered me. What do you want?"

"You know, that exorcist fought well." Rhode grinned, her mouth stretching nearly wide enough to split her face.

"Exorcist? You can't me-!"

"He fought really well; he managed to kill Skin."

"Do you mean Kanda?"

"Hmm? So his name is Kanda, huh?" she flashed a jack-o-lantern grin when she saw the shocked reaction on Allen's face.

She flicked her wrist and a door appeared behind her. " Would you like to see him again?"

Allen stared at the girl. "You… you can do that?"

"Do what?"

"Bring back the dead."

"Are all exorcists as stupid as you, Allen? That guy isn't dead." Rhode watched Allen's expression with amusement as his eyes widened in shock. "So do you want to see him or not?"

"Um…" But before Allen could decide, Rhode was already near him, not even an arm's length away. Impatience was written all over her face as she grabbed Allen's right hand and pulled him towards the door.

" You might want to take this chance before I think otherwise. It isn't every day Rhode Camelot is this nice."

Allen didn't fight the girl, letting her bring him to wherever Kanda was. His thought was more focussed on the hand in his; it was warm.

_Isn't this how it feels like when humans touch each other?_

------

Suddenly, Allen found himself in a large room, with walls painted in checkered black and red. There wasn't much in the room, just a bed, a dresser, and a bookshelf. But all over the floor were little plush dolls, each one different. Rhode noticed Allen staring at her dolls and laughed. "I made those. I always make dolls of all my 'toys'; since they never last too long when I play with them. Right now, I have about 200!" Rhode sounded absolutely gleeful, but Allen face fell. "200 toys…" he muttered to himself, picking one up from the ground. Rhode left his side and jumped into her bed, playing with one that was beside her pillow.

"Cute, aren't they?"

Allen gently put down the doll he was holding, remembering the task at hand. " Where's Kanda?"

"Hmm? Who's Kanda?" Rhode asked, a finger on her chin as she thought. Allen glared at her. She burst into a smile when she saw the glare. " Just kidding." She said, winking. She got off her bed and lifted the illusion set on one of her walls by sliding her finger across it. The wall "disappeared", replaced by an identical one, if Kanda wasn't chained onto it. His head drooped downwards and his eyes were closed.

"I hate it when the Earl finds my toys, especially when they're someone important, like an exorcist. That's why I set up illusions to protect them."

"Kanda!" Allen exclaimed, shocked that the Noah did actually have him with her. Kanda looked terrible though, cuts and bruises all over his body, his hair in disarray and his uniform ripped and tattered. Rhode unlocked the handcuffs holding the exorcist on the wall and threw him towards Allen.

"Ahh, he didn't make such a fun toy, after all. He only woke up once, but then he fell unconscious again after I played a bit with him. How pathetic." Rhode informed Allen, shrugging. " And I thought exorcist toys were suppose to be stronger than that."

Allen stared at Kanda in his arms, and checked if he was still alive. Once sure that Kanda was still breathing, he faced Rhode. " Why are you doing this?"

"What do you mean why? He's a broken toy."

"You could've easily killed him."

"Tyki said the same thing. But it's not fun to kill unless the opponent fights back, or has _some_ kind of reaction."

Allen continued to watch Rhode, trying to determine her motive. He sighed when the girl didn't reveal anything more to him; she had an extremely well built façade. " Well then, I guess I should thank you for saving my friend," Allen volunteered, he himself not believing he was thanking the "family" of the Earl.

"Don't thank me, thank that exorcist for being too weak for me to play with." Rhode quickly answered, not looking at the exorcists. She got up in a sitting position and was cuddling a doll that looked oddly like Rinali.

"Then I'll be leaving now." Allen turned around and headed for the heart-shaped door that was still behind him.

"Allen!" Rhode called before Allen opened the door. He stopped and turned around to face the girl on her bed. "Don't mention me doing this to anyone; it's bad for my image, you see. And no one would believe you if you said a Noah saved an exorcist." She paused a bit to get up from her bed and rummaged for something underneath it. "Oh, and here. It's his; he was holding onto it pretty tight when I found him, I had to practically pry it out of his hands." She threw something towards Allen. "It's his anti-Akuma weapon, right?"

Allen nodded, to answer Rhode's question, and to show he agreed to her conditions. He never had any intention of telling anyone where he went after his extermination of the Akuma anyway. He stepped through the door. "Goodbye, Rhode."

It was going to be taxing to think of an excuse for why he was carrying an unconscious Kanda in his arms.

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AN: Haha, and you see, if it wasn't Allen who came to destroy the Akuma, Rhode would've simply killed that exorcist She's brilliant that way. D

Allen and Rhode's conversation seems a bit awkward, when they met after the Akuma self-destructed, but I hope it's still okay. By the way, I tried to show Allen's cuter side, with the "Um.. Mr.Akuma?" thing. And the uniform? Well, I figured that if Rhode can normally wear such short skirts, then school uniforms could be a shirt and skirt thing too. (I mean, I think girls weren't even allowed to go to school during that century.. Maybe.)

Reviews/feedback/critisms are all appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Yay chapter 4 is finally done. Once again, thanks to everyone who's reviewed!

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FG Chapter 4

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It's been four days since Kanda was returned to HQ. It's still a mystery as to how Allen managed to "find" the presumed dead exorcist, but every time he's asked, he would change the subject. Nevertheless, everyone in the Black Church was joyous to have their Kanda back. Particularly Ravi and Rinali, who alongside Allen visited the healing exorcist religiously. 

On the fifth day, Kanda was awake when the earliest to visit- Rinali, walked into the room. No greetings were given; Rinali was too surprised to see the boy awake, and Kanda was too hungry to be polite. He was in dire need of some tempura soba, which Rinali promptly left the room to retrieve, with an understanding smile on her face.

A while later, the door burst open for the beaming redhead to walk through. " Hey Yuu! Rinali told me you're awake now, how ya've been?" Behind the cheerful redhead was Allen, who waved at the glaring Kanda before taking a seat near the window.

"Call me by my first name again and I'll kill you!" Kanda continue to glare at Ravi, successfully looking threatening despite the bandages on his face. He didn't show any acknowledgement of Allen being in the room, but he just didn't' feel like arguing with the kid before breakfast. "Is Rinali coming back yet?"

"Oh yeah, she told us she would be coming soon, she had to take care of something before coming back. I can't believe you ordered her to get you some soba." Ravi teased the brunette before a knock caught the attention of the three boys in the room. The door opened and a tearful Komui ran into the room.

"Kanda! I'm so glad you're awake! How we've all missed you!" the older man cried, disregarding the injuries on Kanda and giving the guy a great bear hug. Rinali followed her brother into the room, carefully setting the plate of tempura and soba along with a cup of tea on the bedside table before pulling Komui away from Kanda. "Nii-san, you're going to choke him."

Komui smiled apologetically at Kanda before taking his place beside Rinali. Kanda simply ignored the people in his room, his mind only on the food set beside him, his favourite dish. He was thankful that Rinali was observant and even knew what type of tempura he likes to eat. The room was quiet except for the sound of slight slurping coming from Kanda.

Once Kanda was done, Rinali volunteered to take the dishes back to Jerry, while Komui shooed Allen and Ravi out of the room. They didn't complain when they saw the serious face Komui had. When the two boys left the room, Komui turned to look at Kanda, and the exorcist knew what Komui wanted to ask. " I know I don't have too many chances left."

"Kanda, my estimate is," Komui paused, considering into his mental calculations the amount of time the exorcist needed to heal, compared to his usual, as well as the amount of damage his body received. "This is your last life."

Kanda nodded, unconsciously clenching his right hand on the place where his tattoo was. "And Mugen?"

Komui shook his head. "Beyond help."

"I see… I guess I should kiss being an exorcist goodbye then, huh?" Kanda said, his voice dripping with remorse.

Komui smiled. "Ah, but the odd thing was, the Innocence wasn't harmed at all. Once you get better, we'll go to Hevlaska and get your Innocence back." He watched the expression on the younger man change from depressed to shock to relief then to anger. Oh how he loved to tease his exorcists.

"You left that bit of information out on purpose." Kanda accused, glaring at the Head of the Organization. Komui laughed, turning towards the door to let him out. "Get better soon, Kanda"

Kanda was left some peace and quiet for the greater part of the day; Ravi and Allen had planned to go training together and Rinali had to help the science department and her older brother with the paperwork. It wasn't until the evening that the trio decided to bring Kanda dinner, as well as do some interrogating.

"Yuu, guess what we brought you?" Ravi greeted the brunette cheerfully, holding the door open for Rinali and Allen who were each carrying four platters of food. Kanda threw the thing closest to his side- a book- at Ravi once the other two were out of the way. It hit the redhead squarely on the forehead. He winced, and Kanda smirked. " There's more for you once I'm strong enough to walk."

Ravi was about to argue and whine when Rinali interrupted him. "Ravi, help with the plates please." Kanda's attention was on Allen and Rinali, who were setting the platters of food down on the dresser; and he realized for the second time that day how hungry he was.

"Feminine face, what do you want to eat?" Allen asked, smiling as if that was Kanda's actual name. Allen had actually missed arguing with the older exorcist.

"What did you call me, Beansprout?"

"Feminine face. Geez, are you deaf? Or is all that long girlish hair blocking the sound to your ears?"

"At least I happen to have the right colour for my hair. What about you, Old Man?"

Unfortunately their argument didn't last long, for Rinali promptly slapped Allen on the head with a plate when he was ready to yell another insult at the boy in the bed. Rinali's action caught him off guard, as he bit his tongue in response. " Ow…"

Rinali smiled sweetly in response before focussing her attention at Kanda. "What would you want, Kanda?" And she began to list all the food on the dresser. Ravi had listened to the whole argument with a grin, while he was getting his own plate filled. Currently, he was sitting on a chair beside by the window, laughing when Allen's eyes watered from the sudden pain of his injured tongue. Allen glared at the redhead, before grabbing a plate and filled it with whatever met his fancy. They had ordered more than enough for his enormous appetite.

It took another few minutes for Rinali to serve Kanda and then herself, but the four easily fell into a comfortable silence while they ate. It was a long while since they felt so happy, even Kanda was in a better mood than usual, smiling slightly at a joke Rinali made. When they had finished with the food though, the mood shifted from light to serious, each exorcist consumed by the same thoughts and questions. Allen was the one brave enough to break the silence.

"Ravi, what are Noah?"

The other two exorcists looked expectantly at the Bookman apprentice, who seemed rather troubled by the sudden amount of attention he was getting. The question, however, he was expecting. " You've asked Bookman this before Allen. The answer is, we don't really know. This was the first time I've even met with members of Noah's family."

Rinali was preparing to speak, but Kanda was quicker. " So you're saying that even the Bookman has little information on them?" It was meant to be a question, but the way he said it sounded more like a statement.

"Yeah, that's right."

"They're apparently human, though they side with the Earl." Rinali thought out loud. " Why would humans choose to be with someone who wants to destroy human-kind?" Allen winced when he heard Rinali's question, remembering the conversation he had with Rhode when they first met. "What's more, how do they have such unusual powers?" Rinali continued, asking the million-dollar question everyone in the room was thinking about. A blanket of silence enveloped the group as no one was able to even come up with a satisfactory theory to answer the question. It was Kanda who broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "This is all the information we need though. It doesn't matter because all we have to know is that they are our enemies. Even if they are humans, they are on the Earl's side, which puts them on the same level as Akuma." He said with a tone that meant the subject was done.

"Actually, they're probably stronger." Ravi added, regarding his friend. Kanda gave him another murderous glare, which sufficiently scared the redhead from continuing his thought. Rinali laughed, and the room was swiftly filled with the chatter of three friends filling Kanda in on what he missed while he was away.

--

Later into the night, Rinali and Ravi cleared the room of the plates and utensils. They left the room with gusto, although Ravi was pouting and complaining to Rinali why he had to help her rather than Allen. The young exorcist only stared out the window while Rinali and Ravi were cleaning the room, lost in his own thoughts. He didn't even notice that they had exited the room, leaving only him and Kanda. Kanda regarded the younger boy through narrowed eyes, slightly puzzled at Allen's odd behavior.

"Don't expect me to thank you, Beansprout." Kanda ventured, only saying that to catch the attention of the young exorcist.

"That's the least you can do, Feminine face." Allen answered back halfheartedly, without turning away from the window. Kanda knew then that something was wrong with the boy, though it wasn't in him to worry over the likes of Allen. However, Allen's attitude was making him curious, and he nursed the idea of asking him what was wrong in his mind. Luckily for Kanda, he didn't have to.

"Kanda, do you remember anything that happened after your fight?"

Kanda sensed the severity in Allen's tone, and decided to answer him without trouble. "Not much, but I do remember being chained to a wall. There was a girl on the bed in front of me, or at least I think it was a girl, since she was wearing a nightgown." Kanda paused, thinking about the identity of the girl for the first time. "She was a Noah, wasn't she?" He turned towards Allen, fully expecting an answer. Allen only stared though, irritating Kanda further. "Then what's your connection with her, Beansprout? Surely you didn't just find me on the ground somewhere."

Allen looked away now, attempting to avoid the accusing stare of the older exorcist. Allen never liked telling lies, but he did promise that he wouldn't reveal Rhode's secret. The best option, he decided was to keep quiet.

"Che, I hate people like you. I can't believe you would even be friends with the enemy." Kanda grew tired of Allen's unresponsiveness, frustrated and irritated at how Allen seemed to have developed a sort of friendship with the Noah. Or at least, they were acquainted. He turned around, back facing the younger boy and snuggled in deeper into his bed, pulling the blankets higher over himself and closed his eyes. Allen took that as his cue to leave the room. He headed towards the door, but just before he walked out, Allen turned to face Kanda.

"She's not a friend, or an acquaintance. That Noah just happens to be the answers to all our questions."

Kanda continued to ignore the younger boy, still feigning sleep. He kept his eyes shut as he heard Allen's short explanation, his footsteps, and the wooden door creaking as it was opened and closed. "That brat… what is he planning on doing?" His thought was muttered, as Kanda turned over once more, so that he was now staring at the chair that Allen was just sitting on.

* * *

AN: I just couldn't kill Kanda, you know? Or leave him as a vegetable. heh. I hope the interaction between the four of them (Allen, Kanda, Ravi and Rinali ) seemed realistic. I really love the four of them, haha, Fab 4 as they're called in LJ, the last time I've checked. But wouldn't it be great to read a fic about the four of them in a "happily ever after" situation? After the inevitable war and all that, I mean. When there's no use for exorcists now that the Earl's gone and AKUMA are simply a story made up to scare little children... 

Right, done ranbling. Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'm updating quite frequently, even with school, hm. Ah well. Thanks for everyone who reviewed, and D.Gray-man is not mine. (btw, the latest manga chapters are LOVE.)

* * *

The Fading Gray 

Chapter 5

* * *

The morning after, Allen visited the library for the first time since his acceptance into the Order. From the night's conversation, he easily concluded that there were no books written about Noah, probably nothing on Innocence either. Nevertheless, Allen found himself compelled to a giant golden bound book. Flipping through the book, Allen smiled when he found what he was looking for. 

"The Great Flood," the young exorcist started reading under his breath, remembering that the Great Flood talked about in the bible was also called the Three Days of Darkness by the cube Komui had talked about when Allen had first entered the Order. Allen stared at the picture depicting the artist's interpretation of how Noah had looked like, with the eight people on the ship as well as the animals in a medium-sized ship rocking dangerously on the dark waves. It was just like any other drawing on the Great Flood, so Allen continued on reading. He didn't notice the redhead that was quietly sneaking up on him.

"Allen, watcha' doin'?" Ravi whispered into Allen's ear, causing the younger to jump in surprise. Allen sighed when he saw it was just Ravi, who was grinning and waving at Allen. "Oh, did I scare you?"

"Who wouldn't be scared when some random person starts whispering in their ear?" Allen countered back angrily. "Anyway, why are you here? It's still pretty early."

"Random person?" Ravi muttered to himself, frowning, before disregarding Allen's unintentional insult. "Ah, I normally come here if I don't have anything to do. Actually, I wanted to go see Kanda, but before I could even enter the room, he told me to get out. And I thought Kanda was actually getting more fun after last night." Ravi pouted as he turned to face a shelf of books.

Allen chuckled lightly before turning back to his book. "That's right, as Bookman's apprentice, you probably like reading books a lot, right?"

"Well, it's not just because I'm that old panda's apprentice. I've always liked reading. Actually, before all this exorcist stuff, I wanted to be a writer." Ravi offhandedly supplied the extra information, reaching for a green book on a shelf higher up. "By the way, what are you reading? You seem pretty concentrated."

Having finished the chapter, Allen closed the book with a 'thump'. "Oh this? It's nothing really. Hey Ravi, I just remembered I had something to do, have fun reading." Allen started walking towards the door but smiled back at Ravi just before he turned the doorknob. "You know, I'm sure your books would've been really popular; you would've been a great writer." He pushed the door opened and left.

Ravi stared at the spot where Allen was just standing, a confused expression on his face. Sighing, he chuckled at the childishness of Allen's statements, the kid was pretty cute even if he looked like an old man. Ravi's attention then headed towards the book Allen was reading. Curiously, Ravi took the book out and found the page Allen was looking at when he had sneaked up at the kid.

"You're obsessed about them, Allen." A sad smile spread across Ravi's face when he read the title of the chapter.

--

It was a busy day; people were bustling about the streets of London. Businessmen were in a rush to go from one meeting to another, merchants shouted their sales over one another, competing against prices while mothers looked at the products mindful to keep their young ones in check. Still, most had noticed a dark figure standing by the gates of the infamous St. Mary School, though they didn't ask any questions. Some children who were brave enough ran towards the figure to get a closer look when their mothers were looking at fruits or whatnot that would be part of their dinner that night. One child even had the nerve to ask what he was doing.

Allen looked down at the child's face, a warm smile on his lips. "I'm waiting for someone. You better go back to your mother before she gets worried."

The child didn't seem satisfied with the answer, but he obeyed what the older boy said anyway. He looked back at Allen just before his mother decided to visit another store, and noticed that Allen was hiding his left arm behind his back. He would forever remember the strange cross on the older boy's chest, brilliant silver on pure black.

--

" Rhode, how would you do this question then?"

The girl turned to face a girl with beautiful auburn hair who was sitting beside her. Rhode was forced to stay behind to help the girl, Sara, with the day's math lesson, since Rhode was "such an excellent math student", as the teacher had put it. Rhode read the question Sara was pointing at and smiled. _Humans are so stupid._

"Yeah, this question might cause some problems. But like always, you have to simplify them before you can divide." Rhode started going through the question step by step, careful to make sure the girl had understood everything. It would be annoying if Rhode had to go through it all again if Sara didn't understand it the first time, or if the teacher wanted Rhode to stay after school again to teach Sara. Honestly, Rhode couldn't even have any fun; she wanted to tell Sara all the wrong ways to do the questions, so the girl would fail the test and make a fool of herself. But then, the teacher would just get Rhode to re-teach it all again, and Rhode really didn't want to take anymore away from her playtime.

When the lights started going on in Sara's head, Rhode smiled at her friend, and made up a similar question. "Now you try it."

Rhode turned her head to look out the window once Rhode saw that Sara was confidently attacking the equation. A black figure leaning against the wall of the store opposite the school caught Rhode's attention. He couldn't be mistaken for someone else; Allen was wearing his Black Order coat.

--

"Thanks Rhode, for helping me. Now I'm sure to pass tomorrow's test!" Sara exclaimed, smiling brightly at the shorter girl. Rhode plastered a small smile on her own face, and picked up her book bag.

"Don't be silly, I wouldn't let a friend fail a test if I could help it. Besides, it was fun teaching you." The two girls were walking down the courtyard, towards the black gates. _Yeah, as much fun as the Earl when he's angry._

"Well, thanks anyway. Are you sure you can't go to my birthday party, Rhode? Everyone would love to have you there." Sara asked for what was her tenth time that day, but the result was the same. Rhode shook her head, explaining she was busy that day. "Well then, see you tomorrow, Rhode!"

Rhode nodded and waved goodbye to her friend. When she was sure the brunet was too far to see anything, she turned to face Allen, who had crossed the street and was standing beside the sign that displayed the school's name. "Fancy meeting you here, Allen."

"I'm surprised you would associate yourself with the students. I thought you hated humans."

"I do, but you see, they're all wrapped around my fingers." Rhode smiled, her true twisted smile, holding an index finger to emphasize her sentence. " They'll do anything I'll ask of them, depending on how I word my requests. Especially Sara and Billy. They're my puppets."

"They consider you as their friend though." Allen pointed out, already knowing that the girl in front of him couldn't care less if they considered her a saint.

"Well that's their problem. Isn't it pathetic, Allen, how humans associate themselves with others, and considers each other as friends just because they shared a small conversation or two? It's their fault for trusting strangers so easily, entangling themselves in such stupid bonds." Rhode started walking down the street. Allen followed.

"I'm a human too, you know. You're human too."

"Yeah, but us Noah are different. And I think you're different too. There's nothing too different between you exorcists and us, actually," Rhode added offhandedly. "Well, why are you here? Or did you miss me so much you just had to visit me?" She dug in her pocket, and searched for something sweet. A lollipop, she was surprised that she still had one on her person. Allen, who had caught up with Rhode was walking beside her, chuckled to himself.

"As if I would miss you. Actually," Allen reached out and tugged at Rhode's hand that was about to insert the candy into her mouth, causing Rhode to look up at the exorcist. "I wanted to ask you something."

* * *

AN: Because you know, even exorcists had dreams of what they would be when they grow up. A bookloving Ravi was inspired by a picture I saw sometime ago. And you know, Ravi would be an awesome writer, at least in my eyes. ... This chapter was kinda pointless. Um, let's say I wanted to add more interaction between the two of them! Well, even if I did write the next part in this chapter, it would've been super long. 

As always, review please!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thanks for waiting for this chapter!

* * *

The Fading Gray 

Chapter 6

* * *

The street was packed with people going in every direction. None of them however took notice to the two standing in t he middle of the road. Everyone just continued on his or her way; they all had important places to go. And just as how the people around them were ignorant of Allen and Rhode, they too took no heed to the people sidestepping around them to get to their destinations. 

Allen's grip no Rhode's arm was tight, as he stared at her with determined eyes. Rhode stared back, boring into his intense eyes and surprised herself at how easy it was to read Allen's expression. Her dull eyes creased at their edges as a small smile crept across her face.

"Ask a question?" As she gave Allen the permission to elaborate, Rhode pulled her hand out of his grasp, using strength such a small frame should not possess. The sweet was still clutched in her hand, but was forgotten by her at the moment.

"Yes. But will you answer?"

"That depends, Allen." The lilt in her voice was taunting the exorcist, challenging him to see if he was willing to take the risk.

Allen took a deep breath as he prepared to take on the challenge. "Tell me what Noah are."

"We're super-humans," Rhode answered without pause while she unwrapped the tempting sweet in her hand. Grinning, she stuck the lollipop into her mouth.

Allen sighed, annoyed at the girl's answer. " No, but what are Noah? How did you get the powers?"

"Aren't there books about that in your Order's library?" She questioned while sucking on the sweet.

"No, nothing on the Noah family."

" Hm. That's a problem. I know! When the Earl destroys the world and starts it anew, I'll write books on the Noah family and make sure everyone knows it!" Rhode giggled to herself childishly. The lollipop was out of its warm cage and was now held captive by Rhode's hand, waving it here and there. The candy twinkled in the afternoon sun, speaking of unknown secrets and childish dreams.

"Rhode."

As if being called by the Earl himself, Rhode stopped her girlish laugh and smiled lightly at Allen. "Come with me."

Without hesitation, Rhode clutched Allen's hand and began dragging him down the road.

--

Allen found himself in a deserted meadow, staring out at a vast sea of green. He turned to Rhode, but was surprised that she wasn't beside him. Instead, she was running towards a tall tree, giggling and laughing as if she was a normal school girl and not a sadistic subordinate of the Earl. Caught up in the moment, Allen smiled at the image of the girl who was now climbing up the tree. He began walking towards the sound of carefree laughter and the sweet smell of apples.

"Rhode, what's the point of bringing me here?" Allen asked, after a while of peaceful silence, save for the girl's humming. The smell of apples was overwhelming, reminding Allen that he skipped lunch and was on the verge of missing dinner.

It took Rhode a moment to answer. Glancing down at Allen who was sitting against the tree she was on, she took out the lollipop from her mouth. "This was where I first met the Earl." She twirled the lollipop stick, while staring out at the horizon, remembering not for the first time when she finally felt as if she had a family.

Allen stared up at the girl. "Met the Earl?"

Rhode snapped out her reverie and flipped down to get closer to Allen. Her face was just inches away from the exorcist's. Upon seeing Allen's look of surprise, Rhode beamed.

"You know about the Great Flood, right?" Allen nodded. "And if I'm right, those in the Order refers to that as the Three Days of Darkness, right?" Allen nodded again. "Then you know that during those three days, Noah and his family was on the ark. " Allen nodded, urging Rhode to continue. " Noah used the Innocence to fight the Earl, thus starting the flood. What you don't know is that God had originally blessed Noah and his family. They all had special powers." Rhode paused to jump down from the branch, taking a seat right beside Allen, with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Then why use the Innocence?"

"The Innocence was a weapon God gave Noah in order to fight the Earl. Noah and his family weren't powerful enough by themselves, therefore, in order to save is creation, God sent the Innocence to aid Noah. However, the weapon wasn't something Noah could keep forever. God understood that the Earl would continue to plot the demise of the world, so he told Noah to break the cube into pieces. Within one of the pieces, he would inscribe a message. You know what that message was, right?" Rhode tilted her head so that she had a better view of Allen. His brows furrowed as the information sank in and Allen nodded.

"Komui told me when I first joined the order. It spoke about the battle between Noah and the Earl, the "Three Days of Darkness" and to find the apostles, the ones compatible with Innocence. It also had a prediction, that the world would end in the hands of the Earl."

"Correct. Of course, the prediction would only come true if the Earl succeeds in destroying all the Innocence, according to God when Noah refused to inscribe the last message. Once the task was done, Noah followed God's request and dumped that piece into the waters. But against God's wish, he did not throw the other pieces along with the message. Instead, he threw one piece away, every now and then, scattering the pieces to the ends of the Earth. He tried to make it harder for the Earl to find the Innocence and destroy them." Rhode paused again, organizing her thoughts, the faint memories which she couldn't say were entirely hers. Allen was about to encourage the girl to continue, sensing that the story was not yet done. Just as his mouth opened, Rhode shook her head and began again.

" What Noah didn't know was that his children had listened into his conversation with God. Hearing his prediction that the world that would be destroyed by the Earl, the children all became sad. They did not want to see the world they loved become a great never-ending sea again. Together, when Noah was asleep, they stole one piece of the cube and with all their hands holding the Innocence, they prayed. Somehow, the Innocence reacted to their words, and began changing. The children changed along with the Innocence."

"Changing?"

" Their powers, which they were born with, were changing. Their powers became stronger and more concentrated. Before they knew it, the Innocence they had disappeared. The children panicked, and in the ended, the two eldest decided that it was best if Noah never knew that they had stole the Innocence. In agreement, they would not speak of it ever again. The next day, they acted as if nothing had happened, happily waking up their parents when the sun came up. However…"

"However?" Allen encouraged, feeling surprised that Rhode was such a good story-teller.

"They were all ordered to stay in bed by their mother." Rhode grinned then, and Allen realized that the dark crosses were starting to appear on her face. Unfazed by the transformation though, Allen prodded the girl to finish. "Why?"

"Because they all had ashen faces." Her face was entirely black now, the same colour her skin was whenever she battled against the exorcists.

"So your powers did come from the Innocence." Allen concluded, determined to remain unaffected by the change in Rhode's appearance.

Rhode shook her head. "The Innocence's power strengthened us, but we originally had the power ourselves. We are the true apostles. If you need more evidence, we were all compatible with the Innocence."

Allen had nothing to say to that, and decided to ask Rhode one last question that had been tugging at his mind since the beginning of the story. "Then why are you fighting alongside the Earl? As Noah's child and an apostle, you should be fighting against him! With us!"

Rhode only smiled lightly, as she watched the sun disappear behind a passing pink cloud. The sky was dyed in a variety of pale oranges, yellows and reds, reminding her of ice cream, lemonade and the Earl's Cheshire cat grin.

"That's not possible." The statement was simple, but Rhode's tone spoke volumes.

"Why?"

Silence again. But before Allen could register Rhode's actions, she leaned towards him, and matched her lips with his. He pushed the girl away from him, his eyes screaming bewilderment. Rhode giggled at the exorcist as she got up. "I'll remember to tell you when we meet again." And just like that, she walked off, disappearing within a heart-shaped door.

Allen was left by himself, under the darkening sky, with the taste of green apples and the promise of giggles on his lips.

* * *

AN: My take on the story behind Noahs, and their powers. By no means is that the manga-ka's ideals. 

On another note, I think Rhode was a little too extroverted in this chapter, but whatever. Allen learning about the Noahs' past is important in this story... kinda. Next chapter would be better, I assure you guys. But I won't be able to update until another month, probably. It's the last term of school, and there are Exams to study for and Final Projects to finish. I'll try my best though. ☺

As always, reviews are intensely appreciated.♥


	7. Chapter 7

_AN:_ This chapter came up really late, even though it only took three nights to write. It's because I'm a lazy writer and kept pushing starting this until now, so here's my apology. That aside, I'm really surprised how many readers there are for this story. I mean, first off, it's under a not-so mainstream series, and the pairing is one of the oddest ones out there. I don't really think there's many fans of Allen x Rhode... 

Here's some random stats. As of 07/13/07, Fading Gray has accumatively 2146 hits, 16 reviews, 9 users' favourites and on 6 users' story alert. I just can't believe how well this story turned out, for that type of stats. And at Chapter 7, this story is just about half finished. Therefore I'd like to use this chance to give a huge thanks out to CelestialSakura Death's Angel and ShadowFox777 for sticking with me since the very beginning, and everyone else who's reviewed this. Your comments really spurred me on to continue this story, (even though the manga is OMGWHYNOEZMYSTORYDOESN'TWORKNOW on me). And thanks to everyone who faved this too, haha, I was so insanely happy when I logged onto my e-mail two weeks ago to find 'favourited' messages; even when I didn't update in like, three months. It's ego-boasting.

On another note, this chapter was my sad attempt at humour. Really lame; you have been warned. This was also something like the calm before the storm.

Disclaimer: DGM not mine, else, the new manga chapters would seriously be a lot different. AND I'M STILL CONVINCED KANDA DIDN'T DIE DAMMIT.

* * *

Fading Gray

Chapter 7

* * *

_London's city clock struck three as children began pouring out of the local school. Little boys ran down the streets, their book bags swinging haphazardly against their shoulders as shouts of "Last one there is a rotten egg!" could be heard before a group raced past the stands of fruits. Girls walked out in pairs or groups of threes, chatting amiably as they strolled down the street, enjoying the break before they had to help their mothers prepare for dinner. Rhode walked amongst them, hoping to find something that could distract her from Sara's incessant rant about her newest crush. Just as the blonde finished describing the boy's hair, and was about to start on his eyes, Rhode had found exactly what she wanted. Turning to face her companion, Rhode pasted on a fake smile. " Another time, Sara."_

_And just like that the Noah ran off, chasing after dark cloaks embellished with silver and white._

--

"Welcome back, Allen, Kanda." Rinali happily greeted as the two exorcists walked through the door. She smiled sheepishly when she saw the two coldly ignoring each other. "Um… how did the mission go?" she asked, hoping to break the dark atmosphere.

The two boys glared at each other before Allen sighed and left, returning Rinali's earlier greeting with a tired wave. " Since Feminine-face here is obviously the better exorcist, he can tell you about it, Rinali. I'll be at the café."

"Ah, Allen, it's not—" but before Rinali could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a clearly peeved Kanda. " Well, I wouldn't have had to save your ass if you just retrieved the Innocence like we're suppose to!"

"And here we go again," Rinali muttered to herself as she watched the boys continue their pointless banter with irritation. What she wouldn't give to have a clipboard with her.

--

It was later that day that Allen remembered he had to give the mission report to Komui. Heading towards the science department, he was surprised to see people, finders, scientists and exorcists running away from the area. Ravi caught the sight of Allen, and grabbed the young boy with him as he ran. " What are you doing there, just standing around?"

" What is everyone running away from?" They turned a corner and stopped, Ravi keeping a sharp lookout for whatever was chasing them.

" What, you didn't know? Komui created another helper," Ravi answered in whispers. "We've been chased the entire afternoon."

"Another… helper?" Allen asked in hushed tones, his expression of pure fright. The young exorcist still had scars from fighting the last … helper.

" Yeah, except this one was meant to heighten security. Lately, odd thing have been happening, but I guess you were out on a mission."

"Odd things? Like what?"

" Well, it's not like it didn't happen before. I think the incidents stopped after you arrived at the Order. Things like floating papers and books, buckets that would dump water on you, random banana peels on the floor, just to name a few. Ah, some has even heard laughter when they sleep, like something was watching them." Ravi replied. He gave a quick look at his companion and added quickly, " Well, it's not like it could be a ghost… right?" Just as Ravi was finishing his sentence, he had felt a strange sensation on his back, an odd feeling of being watched. Allen continued to stare over Ravi's shoulder with a horrified expression, and gulping, Ravi decided to face whatever was scaring his friend. He turned around mechanically and nearly screamed.

A doll, old and battered was hovering in front of him, and the two heard a girlish giggle. " I've found you"

Without pause, the two exorcists ran the opposite direction, screaming bloody murder.

--

"Oy, Ravi, I think we lost her," Allen declared between pants, leaning against a wall. The redhead muttered something in reply, slumping down against the wall for a well-earned break. The pair immediately tensed when they heard rushed footsteps coming towards them. Prepared to take action, they waited to see who was their new pursuer.

All it took was a swish of black fabric and they immediately relaxed. "Oh, it's only you, Yuu-chan," Ravi said with slight relief.

Kanda glared daggers at the redhead as he waited to catch his breath. "Why are you two here?"

"We're running away from the ghost," Allen replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, I guess little kids like you, Beansprout, would believe in ghosts," Kanda countered with a smirk. Ravi promptly rushed into their growing argument, supporting Allen. "But Yuu-chan We did see a ghost. She was chasing us all the way here. We only just lost her!"

"Call me 'Yuu-chan' one more time you'll see something worse than a ghost," Kanda threatened. " And this ghost, that's why there's another thing running around trying to kill us, isn't it."

"Ah! So you've been running away from Komarin 5S?"

"I'm bait. The science team is building something to take the thing down," Kanda replied, taking a seat a distance away from the other two boys.

"Guess we're stuck here then, until things die down." Allen said, a slightly carefree tone in his voice. He'd much rather wait for things to be taken care of than running around avoiding a doll, or the metal contraption.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that"

All three boys turned towards the direction the voice was coming from, and saw the same doll hovering over Allen's shoulder. Even Kanda had a horrified expression as the doll's arms started wrapping around Allen's in a creepy, loving manner. Paralyzed with fear, the young teen could only stare at the doll.

"Oy Allen, you're on your own, alright? See you later!" Ravi shouted, running behind Kanda towards the opposite direction of where Allen sat. Feeling abandoned, the exorcist gulped in fear, ready to face whatever the ghost wanted to do to him. 'Mana… I think we'll be reunited soon.' Allen thought morbidly as he closed his eyes.

Whether by a blessing or curse, the moment Allen had shut his eyes and gave up against the ghost, a loud crash was heard, distracting him. The white smoke only helped to add to the mystery of what had disrupted the moment. Allen squinted and was able to make out the figure of a large contraption moving on wheels, which was headed his way. It didn't take the exorcist long to realize that that was the feared Komarin 5S that members of the Order were initially running away from.

"Crap. Well, boy, that's my cue to go" A feminine voice whispered in Allen's ears when a mechanical voice coming from Komarin 5S declared that all oddities must be taken care off. Allen sighed when the ghost had left, leaving the doll leaning limply against his leg; with her gone, the machine should go away too.

Allen knew he was being blindly optimistic when he thought that. Komarin 5S had stopped for a second after the ghost's disappearance, only to reassess its environment. It had determined Allen as a potential threat as well, possessing an 'oddity' that needs to be rid of. I moved ever closer to the exorcist, various sharp objects protruding from what was the body of the machine.

"Wait! I'm not it, it's just a curse!" Allen reasoned with a shaky voice, doing a slight crabwalk to put more distance between him and the contraption. In response to Allen's pleas, Komarin 5S only continued its chant of "must purify, keep Order safe."

In further defense, Allen managed to get up, and activated his anti-akuma weapon, feeling slightly safer having something ready to protect himself with. He was about to strike when he heard a panicked yell from behind Komarin 5S.

"Don't you dare hurt my baby or I'll make sure you'll never be able to use your hand again!" Komui threatened, somehow managing to stand behind his beloved contraption even with the entire science team holding him back. The threat worked, however, and Allen stopped in his tracks, still remembering the pain Komui is able to inflict on him in order to 'fix' his left arm.

"Oh forget that, Brother!" an angry female voice called, and in a blink of an eye, Rinali stood in the way between Komarin 5S and Allen. It took all of two seconds before the machine had exploded in a heap of black smoke. The female exorcist ignored the pitiful cries of her brother, focusing her attention on Allen instead. " You're not hurt, are you? I tried to warn you about that thing, but you and Kanda were too busy fighting," Rinali apologized while deactivating her Dark Boots. "In any case, let's leave cleanup to them, you're hungry right? Let's go to the café, the report can wait."

--

Allen returned to his room hours later, after eating enough for all the days he was gone, and giving the mission report to Komui with the 'help' from Kanda. Hoping to find some clean clothes to change into after his shower (he was dying for one), Allen unlocked his door and headed towards his dresser without a second thought.

It took him about three seconds to realize that a certain girl was lying on his bed, watching him with playful eyes after she greeted the boy with a cheery "As they say, third time's the charm, I was right!"

Alarmed, Allen stumbled, nearly tripping over a stray book at the disbelief that the Noah was in his room. "Rhode, what are you doing here?"

"Visiting, what does it look like?"

"This was a bad idea, rero Mistress Rhode will definitely get in trouble, rero" another voice pitched in, from behind Allen. A floating orange umbrella with talking pumpkin head made it's way towards the Rhode. "And I nearly got lost looking for you, rero!"

"If you're so worried, you can go back, Rero." Rhode said to the umbrella, dismissing it from following her. "Besides, I want to be alone with Allen" She smiled at Allen then, giggling at the glare Allen gave her in response.

"I on the other hand simply wish for you to leave. How did you get into the Order?"

"How mean, I'm here because of my promise, remember? And this place has the crappiest security I've ever seen."

Allen raised an eyebrow at that, certain that the security wasn't that bad; for him to enter the Order, an enormous commotion had taken place. "Then how did you find out where this place is? Do the others know?"

"I found out ages ago. Your uniforms are really easy to spot, know that? And even if the Earl or Tyki knows where this place is, they couldn't care less. We can take you guys down without resorting to cheating." The little girl smirked then, getting up off the bed, and pounced on the exorcist. "But that's boring talk. I've missed you so much, Allen. And Rero, I said you can go now."

Allen winced slightly at the pain on his back and head as he hit the floor from the impact of the girl's jump. The orange umbrella hovering over them with its incessant chatter wasn't helping the pain in his head in the very least. Sighing in defeat, he pushed Rhode away from him, and got up to a sitting position. "I suppose you're the one who has been causing all those odd accidents around here, right?" It was more of a statement than a question, as Allen started rubbing his temples. "And Rero, was it? Please be quiet."

Rhode smiled, remember the incidents earlier in the day. " Yep, you exorcists are funny. You're not afraid of akuma, but when it comes to ghosts or stuff like that, it's enough to make you run away screaming."

"I didn't scream. It was a shout of panic. There's a difference." Allen snapped back, glad that the umbrella had actually listened to him and stopped talking.

Rhode laughed then, moving closer to the exorcist. " Whatever you call it, it's still a scream. But it was cute."

Allen blushed slightly at being called cute by the Noah, but fought to hide it, letting his hair block the side of his face that Rhode was capable of seeing. "You do know that you're alone in a place with about a dozen exorcists around, don't you?"

"Yep, but you won't let anything happen to me" Rhode answered simply. " You're too kind to do that."

"And you can teleport away from here as quickly as blinking."

"You know, lying down sometimes helps headaches, from what I've read." Rhode expertly changed the subject, feeling just the tiniest bit of concern for the exorcist.

"I'd rather not, with you around."

There was silence in the room then. Unaccustomed to the quietness, Allen decided to open his eyes, which had been closed since a while ago. He observed that the umbrella had retreated into a corner of the room, with tape over its mouth, no doubt placed there by the Noah. Rhode herself was uncharacteristically quiet, a sad smile on her face and staring into the distance. This was the most human he had seen Rhode, she was acting like a true girl at the moment, and through quick contemplation, Allen realized his words were quite hurtful. Sighing, he decided to apologize, " um, Rhode…. I'm-"

"You should know by now I'm not going to hurt you." Rhode muttered, interrupting Allen. She knew what Allen was about to say, and just knowing that already made her feel better. Regaining her usual charisma she added as an afterthought, "Well, not until it becomes part of the Earl's plan."

Allen smiled then, understanding that the girl had already forgiven him. "We're enemies though."

"We're also both human, right? Until it's called for, I'm going to call it truce."

"And if I don't?" Allen asked playfully. Somehow, his headache was getting better.

"I'll be forced to gouge your eyeballs out." Something about how Rhode said that told Allen she wasn't joking.

Wincing as he remembered the last incident involving his eyes, Allen chose the only sensible option. " Truce then."

Rhode laughed. "Good. Now about what you wanted to know back then…"

"Why can't you fight on our side, right?" Allen surprised himself at how he had remembered their conversation that took place months ago.

Rhode nodded. "Do you still want to know?"

"Yes." Allen answered automatically. He didn't understand why, but he still wanted to learn more about the Noahs and specifically more about Rhode.

"Then I'll say it bluntly. The Earl adopted me. All of us, actually." Rhode shifted in her seat, letting her head rest on top of Allen's bed, and shut her eyes as she tried to compose her thoughts to form a coherent story.

"So you all are true siblings?"

Rhode shook her head. "No, we were 'born' from different families. Our parents abandoned us, and one by one, the Earl took us in. I was the same, Tyki too. If I remember correctly, when I was a child, I didn't have a control over my Noah side. I would change from human to Noah in an instant, without warning, and I guess that scared them."

"But aren't you a direct child of Noah? How can you be born…" Allen asked, confused. It was always a question he had in his mind about how old the Noahs really were, if they had lived from 1000 years ago till now.

"I guess it was for using the Innocence. The children of Noah are cursed to reincarnated every time we die with our full memories of our past lives intact. This would be my second life." Allen opened his mouth to ask another question then, but Rhode shook her head, placing a cool finger over Allen's lips. " We were all different ages because we died at different times. I was the oldest of Noah's children, but I died the latest. That's why now I'm the youngest right now."

Allen nodded. " I see. So I guess Tyki died earliest, and that's why he's oldest?"

" Yep. Except he's not oldest, Skin was. Anyway, as I was saying, my current life parents were scared of what I was. According to the Earl, I spent my infant years ignored, given only the very basics of survival- food, shelter and clothing. Once I was old enough to walk and talk, they left me to fend for myself. I was left on my own on the streets. By that time though, I was starting to have some control over my transformations, but there were still times when my other side came out. All the kids laughed at me, and the adults avoided and scorned me. I'm sure you had the same experience, right?"

Allen didn't answer, himself remembering the times before he met Mana, when he was abandoned on the doorstep of a poor orphanage. Just like Rhode, the other children in the building made him fun of him because of his odd appearance, and the adults either avoided him or pitied him. But he at least had the luxury of being left to an orphanage, whereas the young girl before him was simply left on the dirty street.

Rhode didn't wait for an answer. She continued with her story. " When I first met the Earl, I didn't care about what happened in the past, or what my responsibilities as Noah's child was. When he had asked if I wanted to come with him, I didn't need to think twice. I immediate followed him; nothing mattered because he had wanted me. And that's when I learned of the goal the Earl wanted from the very beginning. To purge the world of all evils and sorrows, so that the earth can start anew; it sound so good to me. If the Earl succeeded, then all those mean people would be gone. I agreed to help him, and that's when I was reunited with the rest of my siblings. We became a family with the Earl, simply because he had saved us."

"So, you finally know why us Noah cannot fight alongside you exorcists."

"Yeah, out of revenge." Allen stated emotionlessly. He knew he should feel angry at the decisions the Noah children made, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to. Placed in the situation Rhode or any of the other Noahs were in, he would've probably agreed to help the Earl as well. And that thought troubled him greatly.

" No, loyalty. The Earl is our savoir, that's why."

Allen couldn't find a reply for that, settling to simply let the sentence drag on, fading into silence. " So, if the Order was quicker, understood more, then-"

" We would probably be working for the Order. But that's just how the world works, isn't it?" Rhode finished the sentence for Allen, grinning. "But I like it this way. Fighting you is fun." Then without warning, the girl leaned into Allen and settled into the crook between his shoulder and neck. She stayed there for a while, and the exorcist allowed her.

"You know Allen, I like you." Rhode whispered, barely loud enough for Allen to hear. Her breath tickled his neck, and he found it hard to stop the laugh or gasp that was about to escape.

And somehow having the Noah like him now didn't creep him out as much as it did when the Rhode had first declared it.

" I have to go now, bye-bye Allen." Rhode said, pushing herself away from the boy. Grabbing Rero, she flashed Allen a grin before disappearing.

"Bye-bye, Rhode."

--

Rhode had barely missed the bell the Earl was ringing, the one reserved for Rhode if he wanted to call her down, on the rare occasion. Making sure that Rero wouldn't tell the Earl anything about seeing Allen or going to the Order through blackmail and threats, she opened the door to the Earl's study, with Rero floating beside her. The room was dark, lighted only by floating candles and two jack-o-lanterns that sat on the windowsill. The Earl sat behind his desk, and let go of the bell when he saw the young Noah before him.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Earl. I was playing with Rero." She took a seat on a chair in front of the Earl's desk, as she always did whenever he called. "Well, did you want anything?"

" As a matter of fact Rhode, I do. I have a new project for you"

* * *

_AN:_ Honestly? I don't know why I love adding the the parts with Allen and Kanda arguing. I think I just love the idea of those three together, Allen, Kanda, and Ravi. Threesome, anyone? And the interaction between Allen and Rhode bothers me a bit. Something about it doesn't seem too in character. 

Rinali is used as a device to keep the story going. I SWEAR SHE'LL HAVE A BIGGER ROLE LATER ON. PROMISE. Because I love her too.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: This must be a record, a chapter in one day. However, it's a short chapter, so maybe that's why. For all you fluff lovers out there, you might like this chapter. It's not _that _fluffy yet, but there's potential between the two of them now, right?

It's been less than a month since I last updated, I'm surprised. With any luck, we'll see the next chapter out by late September. : )

Disclaimer: D.Grayman is not mine. But I sure wish I have an Allen plushie.

* * *

Fading Gray 

Chapter 8

* * *

Arriving to a scene of exhausted scientists finders and even a couple of exorcists strewn all over the floor after a grueling retrieval mission, Allen only sighed. Sidestepping past the tangles of bodies and unidentifiable chaos, the exorcist trudged up to his room and collapsed on his bed. Moving an arm to cover his eyes, the Allen relished the calm and darkness of his room, welcoming the chance to relax his muscles after the tough mission. The silence was a refreshing change from the utter chaos of fighting an army of Akuma, though it quickly overwhelmed him. He was unable to ignore the other presence in the room any longer. 

" So, how long are you going to stand there watching me?' Allen asked, mock irritation lacing his tone. There was a pause before Allen heard the girl's chime-like laughter.

"Silly Allen, I'm always watching you." Rhode answered, adding unnecessary emphasis. She strode closer to the bed, propping her head on the edge of the mattress, wearing an impish grin. The exorcist didn't overlook the hidden meaning behind her reply.

"So, you've been stalking me?" Allen gasped with fake surprise.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Allen." Rhode retorted coolly, albeit returning the boy's smirk. A moment of comfortable silence passed, as Rhode continued to regard the resting boy with a small smile. With any luck…

Without warning, the exorcist sat up, nearly smacking the head of a now angry Noah. Stretching in his spot, Allen turned to an irritated Rhode, beaming. "Well, what are you waiting for, we've got work to do."

The girl watched the exorcist get off the bed and head towards the door in annoyance. This happens everytime Rhode visits Allen. She gets suckered into carrying everyone back to their rooms or offices.

"Do we have to? Honestly, you would think they'd be used to the 'ghost' by now, since I've been visiting so often. I've never seen such a cowardly bunch… how do they expect to beat the Earl when they're afraid of a little ghost?" Rhode complained loudly, refusing to move an inch from her spot.

Allen sighed, his left hand already on the doorknob. He turned to face the Noah with the intention of giving a few lecturing words, however, the words got caught in his throat when he saw Rhode's face. She sat there, glaring stubbornly at him, her cheeks puffed out in a pout. He quickly switched gears, opting to appeal to the girl instead. "If you help me with them, we'll go out after, alright? To the forest," Allen offered, inwardly amused that even if the girl was capable of killing without a second thought, she still had her childish moments.

Rhode's eyes immediately brightened at the thought of being outside the building with Allen. Placing a finger gently over her lips, she pondered the offer, finally deciding that it would probably be the best the exorcist could offer. "Alright, Allen, I'll help. But only if you promise you'll take me to the forest!" Rhode slowly got up on her feet, brushing imaginary dust off her skirt.

"You don't think I'll keep my end of the bargain?" Allen asked, his tone playful. He kept his face carefully neutral as he opened the door and stood aside to make room for Rhode. The girl walked through the door with surprising grace, smiling as she passed the boy. They made their way down to the main floor, where everyone was still asleep or fainted. It was clear to Allen as Rhode lifted a small looking scientist that she wouldn't answer the question. "You know where to put him." Allen told the girl, deciding to carry the two exorcists first.

It took them a good half-hour before most of the people were carried to their respective places. Rhode had been extremely helpful, even breaching the line towards obedient, an observation that surprised Allen. The girl had just left with the last bodies, two finders, bringing them to the cafeteria, under Allen's instructions. When Rhode arrived back to the base of the stairs, Allen was nowhere to be found. "Allen?" Rhode called tentatively. Her eyes narrowed when there was no response. She quickly decided that if the exorcist didn't appear in five seconds, she would turn him into another of her dolls. Patience, after all, was one of her better qualities. Leaning against the wall opposite the stairs, she closed her eyes and began to count in her head. _1…2…3… _She reached five without hearing a single footstep. Angrily, her eyes snapped open, ready to not only turn Allen into a new toy, but doing away with a couple of the Order's finders and scientists, probably including the Chief. After all, no one uses Rhode Camelot and gets away with it.

However, she never got far in completing her plan, when she finally registered who was standing right in front of her. There Allen stood, now wearing a light blue shirt and his dark pants, and an amused smile on his lips. "So you weren't asleep after all."

Rhode blinked twice as she tried to think of a response. "What… How long were you standing there for?" she asked dumbly when she couldn't think of a clever enough retort. She kept pace with Allen easily, who had began walking towards the east doors. He cocked his head slightly to the side, still smiling, as he answered Rhode's question with an elusive " Long enough."

It didn't take long for the pair to reach the forest that guarded the headquarters from the sides and the back. Travelling on a dirt path, the duo eventually found a small spot surrounded by trees and green, yet left the sky uncovered. They sat next to each other on the mossy ground, their backs against the trunk of a maple tree. The two sat in silence, happily taking in the smell of pine and greenness, the sight of the forest dyed in midnight blue, the sound of an owl's hoot mixing with the autumn wind and the feeling of the soft moonlight on their skin.

"You can see the stars so clearly here," Allen mumbled in awe, which wasn't unheard from Rhode. She craned her neck upwards and made a noise that mimicked Allen's astonishment.

"Look, there's Andromeda," Allen exclaimed, his index finger out and pointing towards a cluster of stars under the brightest star in the area. Rhode's gaze followed Allen's finger as he attempted to trace the image.

"You like stargazing?" Rhode asked offhandedly, still facing the sky.

"I guess. Stargazing was probably the only thing Master and Mana had in common; they taught me the constellations." Allen stopped tracing the imaginary lines now, tucking his arm back behind his head as he smiled wistfully at the fond memories. " Whenever Master and I had to camp out, he always tried to find this constellation- Andromeda. I never did find out why though."

"Andromeda was the daughter of Cephius and Cassiopeia, princess of Ethiopia. Her mother, Cassiopeia angered the gods by gloating that she was more beautiful than Hera, Zeus's wife, was. Thus, Poseidon, Zeus's brother summoned an enormous sea monster to destroy the coast of Ethiopia as punishment. An oracle told the King and Queen that no relief would be found until Andromeda was sacrificed to the monster." Rhode's brows furrowed as she tried to remember the Greek myth, unaware that Allen was now staring at the girl, transfixed. "Luckily for the princess, the hero Perseus had arrived after his adventure to slaw the Gorgon, Medusa. He fell in love with Andromeda's beauty and agreed to save her from the monster if she was to be wed to him. The King and Queen agreed to his condition, of course." Rhode finished, returning Allen's gaze.

"Well, then what happened to Perseus and Andromeda?" Allen asked, after a long moment of silence.

"They probably lived together happily ever after. The whole myth was a stupid story, just to reinforce the idea that you should be humble to not anger the gods." Rhode shrugged. Greek myths were something she was fascinated with, however she could never get over how predictable the myths were, and how they always seemed to strengthen the same set of stupid morals and ideals.

"Well, that's how they made sure their society would function." Allen thought aloud. " But I still don't understand why Master would look for Andromeda all the time."

"Maybe he just liked the story." Rhode suggested, shrugging yet again. If she had to try to understand each and every exorcist's thought process, she would rather drink acid and let Tyki rip her heart out as her insides melted.

They shared another moment of silence, before Rhode shifted gears. She was getting bored of staring at the bright dots in the sky. " Hey Allen, what was Cross like?"

"Why would it matter to you, Rhode?" Allen replied after a moment of contemplation.

"I'm just curious. I have a feeling the Earl doesn't like him. Even more than how much he doesn't like you exorcists." Rhode explained as she tried to sound innocent. As it turns out, her girlish charms didn't phase Allen in the least.

" He's amazingly strong. That's all you have to know, Rhode." Allen answered. Rhode was about to complain, trying to weasel anything else about the elusive General. However, something in Allen's tone told her that was all he would say.

"It's nearly dawn, isn't it?" Allen asked when he noticed that the forest was sudden brighter than it was when they arrived. Rhode looked up at the sky to see the stars that they were staring at just a while ago were now faint glimmers. Confirming the exorcist's question with an affirmative, Allen slowly got up from his seat. After a quick stretch, he offered a hand down for Rhode. The Noah took it without hesitation, beaming as she was brought to her feet.

"I guess this is bye, right?" Allen asked yet again, looking down at the girl awkwardly.

"You're warm." Rhode ignored the question. The warmth of Allen's hand was pleasant, most of her warmth taken away by the autumn wind and night air.

"That's how it's suppose to feel like." He grinned, remembering what Rhode had said the first time they had met, when she demonstrated to Allen that she was human.

"I know." She replied. Without warning she wrapped her arms around the boy, hoping to draw up some of his warmth before she was force to leave. Before Allen could decide if he liked the idea of the Noah so close to him, she had retrieved her arms. Laughing, she backed away from the exorcist, and turned around. " We'll talk another time"

Allen watched the girl disappear, before he turned around and made his way back to the building, feeling more refreshed than he had felt in ages, though he never had a wink of sleep.

* * *

AN: I had no idea that this chapter would end up being so... lame. Looking back at my Plan (I sound so professional, organizing my ideas in a plan for this story! However, the plan was written on a scrap piece of paper, so it's obvious I didn't follow it. ) I anticipated this chapter to be a collection of their small meetings and conversations, not a long one on only one event. And as I was writing, I didn't expect them to be stargazing AT ALL. Ah well, at least it gave me a direction. By the way, the story of Andromeda happens to be one of my favourite stories, though it's only part of the myth of Perseus's journey. And I've decided that the story will play a part in Allen's and Rhode's relationship... maybe. I'm still playing around with the idea. 

By the way, yes, I am delightedly evil, not revealing what the Earl wants Rhode to do. But I'm sure it's obvious after this chapter. I did try to hint at it, but it may be too obscure. Try taking a stab at guessing what it is. : )

Reviews are loved and appreciated! ♥


	9. Chapter 9

AN: It's a bit late than when I anticipated this chapter to be done, but! Here it is.

* * *

Fading Gray 

Chapter 9

* * *

Weeks passed since Allen had last seen Rhode, and before he realized, it has already been a month. Even the slight hope of meeting her during missions he soon learned was in vain. Sitting by the window of the library, Allen sighed and wondered what the girl was up to. 

He didn't want to dwell too much on that thought however; the idea of fighting Rhode in the Earl's scenario didn't thrill him in the least.

Other thoughts were bothering him as well. Ever since their clumsy friendship began, Allen wondered if things could've been different if the Order had met the Noah children first. If it had been Komui or the higher-ups who adopted the Noah, would there still be a war between the Earl and the Exorcists? And Allen suddenly remembered that train Ravi, Crowley and him had rode on, when they played poker against Tyki- his other identity unknown to them. He knew underneath the sides they took and their abilities, that they might've been friends- in another world. But he also knew that no one would take his thoughts seriously in the Order- the Noahs were enemies; feeling sympathy for them would only make things harder.

He hated not being able to tell his friends the information he learned, the friend he's made, _his true thoughts._

_--_

Unbeknownst to him, Rinali and Ravi were scrutinizing Allen from a distance away. They were worried- Allen had always had it harder than the rest of them, they knew. He naturally had more to think about, especially with his unique ability. But he never had to go as far as to avoiding them in the past, unlike now.

Neither Rinali nor Ravi could forget the heated discussion they had about Noah so many months ago. They were afraid they were losing their friend. And they smiled to each other in understanding.

"Allen, are you busy tonight?" Rinali asked innocently later that day, near sundown. Ravi fell in step with Allen, on his other side and sighed.

" I asked her to go to the festival with me tonight, but she wouldn't go unless you came too." Ravi pouted slightly, then his expression brightened immediately. "So Come with us?"

Allen stared at both of them in confusion. "What festival? And since when did you start chasing after Rinali, Ravi?" There was only surprise on Allen's face.

"Tonight's the festival of the dead(1); didn't you know that Allen? It's really fun!" Rinali explained. "Have you ever been to one?"

Allen shook his head.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Ravi declared as both his and Rinali's hands grabbed hold of Allen's arms. Without a moment's hesitation, they began to drag the boy with them to the streets of London, grinning all the way.

--

By the time the three exorcists arrived to the heart of London, night had already fallen. There were venders all along the sides of the streets, selling festive items, food or offering to tell your fortunes. Scattered about the crowds were street performers, putting on shows that amused the young and the old alike. Children who weren't mesmerized by the performer's shows or lining up to buy food or toys ran after each other, laughing as they devised a particularly hard game of tag, their only obstacle being the multitude of people. Allen soaked up the sights of the festival, the smell of the special foods and the sounds of children's laughter and the music muffled by so many people's cloaks.

"Nice, isn't it?" Rinali asked nostalgically. After all the complications and changes from the most recent battle against the Earl, it relieved her that there were still people who's lives remained untroubled. Allen agreed with her, for all the same reasons.

"It's been ages since I've been to a festival!" Ravi exclaimed, stretching as he scanned his surroundings. His eyes lit up when he saw a vendor was selling candied apples. "Oy Allen, Rinali! Let's go over there! I want candied apples!" he pointed at the stand, and grinned. Rinali laughed and followed the redhead, beckoning Allen to follow suit. He didn't need her encouragement however, as he easily walked in pace with the girl.

After they had bought the apples, they proceeded to explore, visiting vendors and watching the performers as they ate their sugary treats. It didn't take long for Allen to completely lose himself to the moment, enjoying the few moments he had with his friends.

"Hey, isn't that Kanda?" Ravi exclaimed, pointing at a figure in the distance, as they were waiting for Rinali to finish with the vendor. The exorcist's signature long hair was hard to mistake. Allen agreed to Ravi's suspicions. The redhead smiled, before dashing out and yelled at the top of his lungs. " Oy, Yuu-chin(2)! Why don't you come and join us?"

The figure ceased walking abruptly, but he didn't' turn around. Allen almost missed the older exorcist's hand reaching for his sword. At the same moment, Rinali stepped out from the shop, and stood beside Allen. She stared in the direction of the boys, recognizing Kanda at once. Kanda however, ignored Ravi's shout after it's initial shock. He continued to walk away from them.

Scowling, Rinali joined in with Ravi's yells; the evening would be perfect if Kanda was there to enjoy it with them as well. " Kanda Yuu, if you so much as take another step, I'll make sure to kick you all the way to the other side of the world! Rinali threatened loudly. Her companions shifted slightly away from her, surprised at Rinali's sudden change in attitude.

Kanda wondered if he should risk angering the female exorcist, but quickly decided against it. Knowing her skill and strength, he wouldn't doubt that she could kick him that far. That and, her brother was the Head of the Order. Sighing he turned around, and stared at his three comrades. "What do you want?"

"If you're just coming back from a mission, why don't you join us? Brother wouldn't care if you came a little later."

Kanda didn't reply, his expression unchanged. Allen took the opportunity to support Rinali's stand "And who knows, with this many people, there's a high chance of Akuma. We'll need all the help we can get to protect them."

The older exorcist smirked. "Of course _you_ would need help, Beansprout…"

"W-what? What do you mean I would need your help, Feminine-face? It's just that there's too many people here for the three of us to watch!" Allen stuttered, flustered as he tried to make a decent comeback against Kanda's comment. He ignored Rinali's muffled giggle, focusing on the glare directed at Kanda. She quickly composed herself however, and walked between the two boys.

"Well, we can worry about Akuma when we see them, alright? For now, let's just enjoy the festival. It'll only be here for tonight."

"Whatever," Kanda replied, turning around to walk in front of them. Ravi laughed and rushed up to walk by Kanda's side, dodging the threats the brunette threw at him for using his first name.

--

In hindsight, Allen should've seen all the signs. Somehow he was forced away from his friends, thanks to a little boy who he had to help find his mother. Allen recognized the boy immediately as the one who had asked him what he was up to that day when he was waiting for Rhode to finish school. Smiling, he took the boy's hand, and promised that he would help him find his mother. It was half a second too late when his eye reacted; he would never have expected the boy was an Akuma, or that he was a high level one to boot.

Of course, his talent had to be the ability to force people into unconsciousness.

--

"Where could he have gone?" Rinali exclaimed in panic, holding onto Ravi and Kanda's arms as she dragged them at the speed of sound. She was frantic, trying to see everywhere all at once, looking for the slightest hint of where Allen could be.

"You need to calm down, Rinali! There's no point in panicking like this, he's completely capable protecting himself, he knows where the Order is, _and_ _you're making Yuu and me sick._" Ravi informed the girl, unable of focusing on a spot long enough to check if Allen was there. Kanda had his eyes closed and remained silent, though it was obvious his face had paled.

Rinali sighed, and slowed down to a stop. " I guess you're right, Ravi…" she was still worried however, something just didn't' feel right.

"I'm going to kill that kid for having me go through that." Kanda muttered, when he felt his stomach wasn't going to spill through his mouth. Ravi laughed, then put a comforting arm around Rinali.

"If you're worried about Akuma, we should've seen some type of explosion, right? Allen can sense them better than we can, he'll be fi-"

In the distance, a cloud of dust billowed above the trees. Without a word, the three of them ran towards the disturbance.

--

Perhaps it was due to the Innocence that had melded into his heart, or the Akuma just wasn't strong enough to keep his effect lasting, but Allen soon realized that their was a numbing pain somewhere near his stomach. Directly above him, he heard the Akuma laugh (why did it sound so alike a child's?). Another voice soon joined with the Akuma, it was deeper, richer, and it seemed to be congratulating it. Allen couldn't place it, but the new voice sounded really familiar.

But suddenly, all the voices stopped. And he felt it. He felt his body being picked up, felt the ground disappear beneath him, the wind in his hair. He felt someone else's warmth on his skin.

--

"This is it…" Ravi declared, stopping at a clearing where they saw the dust cloud originate from. But there was no one around.

Rinali however, didn't miss the patch of dark red on the grass. She walked towards it, with Kanda behind her. Kneeling down, she felt the spot, it was cold, but the blood was still fresh. She looked up to stare at Kanda, who wouldn't meet her gaze, and tears welled up in her eyes. Ravi reached out wrapped his arms around her. " Maybe someone found him and took him in for the night." Even to him, those words sounded hollow. He could feel Rinali sob quietly into his coat.

"Hey, there's a trail here." Kanda said, staring down at the smaller patches of red scattered. It took Rinali and Ravi a moment to process the information and they quickly started running once more.

--

"It ends h-" Ravi starts to say, only to be interrupted by Kanda. He motions for them to hide behind the bush, and they obliged. In front of them, was Allen, on the ground with a masked figure watching over him. (Rinali winced when she caught the sight of the gash across Allen's stomach.)

They watch as the child covers Allen's wound with a piece of cloth ripped from her shirt. Once she was satisfied with her work, she caressed his face, gently following the lines from his cheek down to his neck. Then in a swift motion, she took off her mask, and smiled wistfully. (Here, Ravi, Rinali and even Kanda gasped when they realized who had saved their friend.)

" You owe me big, Allen."

It was only for a split second, but they saw it clearly. She bent down and pressed her lips on Allen's forehead gingerly. She got up after, picked up her mask, materialized a Dimension Door and disappeared within it.

"In another time, another place, right?" Rhode whispered to herself when she was in her own dimension.

--

In the moment that Rhode had disappeared within the Door, Rinali had run the other way, fresh tears spilling down her face. Both boys were caught off guard by her outburst, but Kanda was quicker. In an instance, Kanda was gone, leaving Ravi to deal with the young exorcist.

"Rinali." Kanda said, when he had caught up with her. She was leaning against a tree when he found her, furiously wiping away the tears with her sleeves. Kanda had no idea of what to do, opting to close the distance between her and himself. Awkwardly, he wrapped an arm around her, and patted her hair in (what he assumed) was a soothing manner.

"I'm okay, really, Kanda. But thanks anyway." She began, still trying to stop the tears from falling. Kanda didn't reply, continuing to pat Rinali's head. "I mean, it's really nothing right? Rhode had said from the beginning that she liked him. And it's not like Allen returns those feelings, so I really have no reason to feel this way…" Rinali heaved a sigh, closed her eyes and slowly opened them as she breathed in. Smiling, she turned to face Kanda. " Thanks, Kanda. Let's take Allen back to the Order and get him patched up. You're probably tired too, from your mission."

Kanda nodded and followed the girl back to where Allen and Ravi were.

--

Rhode knew she was in for a long and lengthy lecture about interfering with other's work when she saw Tyki sitting on her bed, calmly reading a book. She sighed, and flopped down on the floor, grabbing the nearest stuffed animal she could reach and squeezed it to her chest. " I know, it was stupid and selfish. You're probably incredibly angry with me, aren't you, Tyki?"

Said Noah glanced at Rhode from the corner of his eyes, not taking the book away from his face. "You have your responsibilities and missions, Rhode. What wee you doing in London today?"

"Cross played me, he was already gone when I reached India. And since I have no leads on where the Ark is either, I might as well do something fun." Rhode shrugged, deciding to be as truthful as she could be.

"But saving the Walker kid? Rhode, you _know_ that my job is to make sure he's dead." Tyki finally decided to give his sister his undivided attention, closing the book shut and turning over so he was facing her.

"I know, but… I don't know what came over me. I just didn't want you to kill him just yet…. He might be useful for _my_ mission."

"That's all? Just that he's useful?" Tyki watched his sister with unwavering eyes. Rhode met his challenged and stared right back.

"Of course, what else would it be?"

He stared into her eyes for a moment, looking for any traces of a lie. "Good. For a moment, I was worried that you actually had feelings for him. True human feelings." He was smirking.

"Riiiight Tyki. I hate humans, remember?" Tyki laughed. He got off her bed and was headed towards the door to his room.

"Of course, Rhode. But you owe me big for not telling the Earl. I even had to kill that Akuma in case he might tell. And that Akuma had a _really_ useful ability."

"I'll do anything to make it up to you, just ask, Tyki! You're the best!" Rhode grinned at her brother. She never doubted he wouldn't watch out for her. And the lecture didn't turn out to be long at all.

"Just make sure you remember your priorities." With that, he was out the door. And he sighed.

**_Just like Romeo and Juliet._**

* * *

AN: (1) Festival of the dead, for those who don't know is really the concept of Halloween. Well, at least for Mexico. (I'm not too sure about Spain and Europe). I knew I wanted this chapter to take place during a festival, but I couldn't decide between a harvest or just something else. In the end, I decided to do Halloween, just because it's October. 

(2)I always believed that Ravi, being Bookman's apprentice would know many languages. (Come to think of it, I think all the Exorcists are multilingual...) So Ravi might even know a bit of Japanese. -chin is an informal suffix used for nicknames. And why yes, I am trying to make Ravi D.Grayman's version of Fai, what of it? XD

... That's about all I wanted to explain. Haha, I hope the story's not boring you guys yet, although it really seems like it is. I haven't recieved reviews for a while! (hint hint) On another note, since it's Thanksgiving here in Canada, I wish to extend the wishes to you guys Even if you're not Canadian. I'm grateful for all you readers out there, for encouraging and spurring me to write this! Without you, this story would've never made it this far! Much love for you all! ♥


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I've procrasinated long enough with this chapter. Though if all goes well, this will finish on schedule. (Look, I sound so professional, using a 'schedule' for my writing)

* * *

Fading Gray 

Chapter 10

* * *

He was cold and numb all over. Yet, he wasn't completely lost to the world. Against the coldness of October's night's air, his savior's breath felt wonderful on his cheeks. Allen felt the butterfly-light touches that left warm imprints on his skin. He wanted to sit up and thank the person who had just rescued him from certain doom, wanted to smile just to know who it was. And yet somehow he knew already who was the one that was bandaging up his wound. 

Something soft was pressed against his lips, and all Allen wanted to do was push the girl off him, grin and say " Thank you, Rhode."

--

Running. Heavy panting. Wind rushing through his hair. The sound of clothes ruffling. Allen was moving once more, and there was only urgency and worry hidden in each of their steps.

--

The loud bang of the main door being kicked open. Two people behind him gasping for air. Ravi shouts loudly, disregarding that most of the members were already asleep. " Old man! Get down here!" Allen wanted badly to tell him to be quiet; you're disturbing everyone else.

He is dropped onto a bed. Old and sure hands hold onto his wrist, waiting for a pulse. A sigh. His makeshift bandages are unraveled and the sting of cold air rushing at the cut barely registers in Allen's mind. Bookman 'tsks' away, doing more checks before declaring " It's a good thing you found him when you did."

Allen knows that's not what Rinali wanted to hear. He knows that she must be sobbing quietly, probably on the shoulders of Kanda, or more possibly Ravi. He hears Kanda snort. " As if we didn't know _that_, stupid old geezer."

" I'll regard your rudeness as your overwhelming concern for Walker." Kanda scoffs, but Bookman ignores him and continues. " He's lost a lot of blood, but that can be fixed easily. However, his unconscious state is not curable." Ravi yells "what? Why?" but that is lost to Allen. All he registers are Rinali's hands holding onto his tightly, and her tears splashing onto his face.

Kanda tells Rinali to stop crying. Rinali interrupts Bookman's attempt at explaining why he can't cure Allen of his unconsciousness by yelling at Kanda. " Stop crying? At least I'm showing some feeling towards my friends and teammates! You guys are my world! We've almost lost you, I don't want to lose Allen too!" Her tears have stopped, but she continues to stare at Allen, grasping his hands. Allen desperately wants to pat Rinali on the back and say, "I'm fine Rinali. Please stop crying, you're not going to lose me anytime soon", but his hands won't listen and his throat is dry.

" You misunderstood me." Bookman begins when the room is quiet. " Allen's unconsciousness is caused by the Akuma's ability. He won't stay unconscious forever, but I can't tell you when he'll awake. It's best for you all to get some sleep now. I'll let Komui know about this."

Bookman leaves. It won't be for another hour or so before Ravi and Kanda forces Rinali to come with them and get some sleep as well.

And then the world fades.

--

All Allen can see is darkness; rather, he is the only object illuminated, so he assumes he is surrounded in darkness. He yells out for his friends, already knowing there will be no reply. "A dream?" Allen asks himself, wondering why he dreams of being alone in the shroud of shadows. In desperation, he calls for his friends again, pausing a moment before he adds a forth name to his list. " Rhode?" he ends weakly, a futile attempt to find company. He takes a step, and another and begins to walk. Not long after, he sees a light ahead, and rushes towards it.

And he stops when he realizes that the light was another person. A small figure in a snow-white nightgown, too light and airy to be worn during the colder months of the year. Yet somehow, Allen figured this was just one of the wonderful peculiarities of the girl. She looks up at Allen and reaches out her hand. Allen instinctively reaches out and grabs onto her.

"Where am I, Rhode. A dream?"

She doesn't answer right away, nor is she still staring into the exorcist's face. " Is there a place you want to go? I can take you anywhere." Rhode easily sidesteps the question.

" Any place…?" Allen muses, unable to comprehend how Rhode can take him- his consciousness anywhere. She was, after all, just a dream.

Rhode giggles at the confused expression on Allen's face, and holds on to his hand tighter. " Then I'll show you my favourite place."

A blink. That was all it took for them to leave the realm of darkness for another world, one that was of equal darkness- but for another reason. Allen immediately recognizes the place.

"Wha-why did you bring us here?" He whispers harshly at the girl by his side. His eyes were fixed on a young boy with white hair, wearing a patchwork coat, who was crying by a tombstone.

"Because this is my favourite place, Allen." Rhode grins sardonically, and pulls Allen with her into the bushes. " You remember this place, don't you?"

"How can I forget?" he mutters, still transfixed at the boy- the shadow of his past. Was he really that small when it had happened? When his life had completely changed? Allen's hands clenched into fists when he hears his younger self grievously murmur those words that were taboo for an Exorcist. He doesn't remember that Rhode's hand is intertwined with his own, or does he register that she was intently watching him by his side.

'_I wish Mana didn't die!'_

"Here he comes" Allen hears Rhode whisper, her tone unidentifiable. He hears the Earl's explanation, the childish plea for Mana to come back, and the scream that follows when the skeleton starts chasing the boy with the intent to kill. Allen doesn't need to see it all again, and he turns away. Rhode squeezes his hand slightly, and commands him to keep watching. Allen is compelled by her earnestness and slowly focuses back on the first time he had fought an Akuma.

It is at this time that Cross appears and rescues him from certain doom. Allen is astonished to find out that his master doesn't look a day older than the first time he met him. Allen and Rhode watch the pair leave before she pulls him out of the bushes. He is pale and clammy but she doesn't mind because somehow she understood because she's still human. They walk towards the grave hand in hand. She lets go of him and Allen kneels beside the stone and mutters words of apology and sorrow.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you had never became an Exorcist? If none of this was happening?" Rhode suddenly asks quietly. She is still standing, her gown and hair ruffled by the imaginary wind. Allen doesn't turn around when he answers.

"All the time."

"I can show you."

Once more, Rhode's arm is outstretched, her hand welcoming. Allen hesitates, contemplating the promise of his companion. He stares at her face, and realizes her eyes hold no secrets or tricks. He holds on.

--

The first thing Allen notices when he opens his eyes is the clothes Rhode's wearing. A uniform replaces her white dress, something similar to the uniform she wears to school. Her skirt is green and plaid, she wears a small dress shirt with the sleeves folded at her elbows and she has a green tie. Roman numerals are embroidered onto the tie in gold, reading the number one. Black loafers replaces her bare feet, and her black socks reaches up to her knee, reminding Allen too much of Rinali.

"Uniforms looks good on you," Rhode comments, grinning devilishly. She drops her black schoolbag and leans against a locker as Allen analyzes his own outfit. It is the male version of Rhode's, green plaid pants, white dress shirt, black tie and dark green blazer. Black loafers. The Roman numeral for two is sewn onto his tie and Allen wonders if that signifies his class number.

Most remarkable of all is his left arm. It was, without a doubt, completely normal.

"Where…what is this place?"

"A world where Innocence and Akuma is just a myth. I guess, you can say this is the future, an alternate reality. Right now, we're—" Rhode's explanation was unfortunately cut short, when a worried voiced yelled for Allen. Three teenagers followed the yell, the shortest of the three running.

"Allen! We were worried something happened to you! You didn't meet us by the auditorium!" Rinali hugged Allen in relief. The latter was startled, awkwardly hugged his friend back.

"What were you worried about? You know I'll be okay by myself."

"She was worried that _some_ people would do something to you for payback. You know, people like _her_ brothers," Kanda bluntly explained, glaring at Rhode, who was standing right beside Allen. She returned his glare evenly.

"By the way, Allen, what are you doing with her anyway?" Ravi asks, putting a hand on Kanda's shoulder. " You do remember what her brothers did before the summer break, right? The fight?"

Rinali lets go of Allen, and watches him closely. Allen avoids Ravi's gaze, unable to come up with an answer to his questions as he tries to make sense of the past he apparently shared with Rhode's siblings in this world. Rhode understands Allen's confusion and decides to answer for him.

" It's my first day here. Jasdero and Dibitto left before I did, so I didn't know my way to the auditorium for the opening assembly."

Satisfied with her answer, Rinali tells Ravi and Kanda to be nice. Ravi obeys almost immediately, commenting how he couldn't believe a cute girl like Rhode could be related to the malicious twins in his year, but Kanda is still distrusting. Rinali smiles at Rhode then, and invites her to join them for the opening ceremony. Rhode accepts with a grin and decides to make small talk with Rinali and Ravi. Allen breathes a sigh of relief, and joins in with the fun.

--

"Took you long enough to get to the café, Rhode!" Jasdero shouts when his sister walks by, carrying her tray of food. Debitto waves and grins at his younger sister impishly.

"You two! You set my alarm clock an hour late! I just got out of detention!" She yells, pouting at her older brothers.

"Well, sorry? To make up for our _horrible prank_, we saved you a seat!" Dibitto attempted to look apologetic, though the expression didn't last long, as he succumbed to his brother's snickers. "Oy, shut up! I almost had her!"

"As if." Rhode scoffs. She then scans the cafeteria for any vacant seats left in the cafeteria, grinning when she sees Rinali and Ravi waving and pointing at the seat between Allen and Kanda. "I'm gonna go sit with some REAL friends."

Jasdero and Dibitto watches their sister walk towards the table Ravi was sitting. Almost immediately they get up and follow Rhode, sharing murderous glints in their eyes.

"Why did you come so late, Rhode?" Ravi asks, stealing a fry from Rhode's tray. Allen pokes at her rice pudding with a fork.

"My brothers set my clock an hour back." Rhode answers simply. Ravi, Rinali and Allen nods in understanding.

"Speak of the devils…" Kanda mutters, when the twins were standing behind Rhode.

"And _what_ are you doing with them?" Dibitto demands Rhode.

Rhode turns to face her brothers and smiles sweetly, sidestepping the question with a simple " Oh, lighten up."

--

A pine tree decorated in colourful baubles stands tall in a corner of the room, guarding a respectable pile of multicolour packages. Eight people are gathered round an oak table, clapping as Allen blows out all the candles of the Christmas tree shaped cake. Rinali then takes care in cutting the cake in equal portions, while Jasdero and Dibitto joke around with Ravi, trying to make Allen tell them his birthday wish. Allen's foster father, Mana, takes pictures upon pictures of his son and his friends, laughing when Rinali or Kanda fails in avoiding the camera. Rhode playfully helps Mana, tricking her friends into being part of the pictures.

"Happy birthday, Allen!" everyone chants, beaming when Mana hands Allen his present, a golden ball with wings and tail that he had crafted.

--

"Did you like it?"

Allen had to blink twice before he realizes that they are back in the world of darkness. Rhode is once again in her white nightgown, and Allen is back in his exorcist uniform. He stares at his left arm, and _almost_ feels disappointed that it wasn't normal.

"Was that… a dream?"

"I can only show you your dreams." Rhode answers bluntly, nodding.

"Then what about you? Do you wish to be a normal human?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I hate humans. Why would I want to be as weak as them?" Rhode answers without a moment's pause. She avoids Allen's eyes, turning around completely to hide her face.

"Then say that again while staring me straight in the face." Allen demands, walking towards her. Rhode does not obey, and Allen makes his assertion. " You want it too, don't you? That was also your dream."

"That's stupid! I already told you it was yours." She retorts, glaring at the boy. Her angry glare stops Allen in his tracks. He smiles sadly and pulls the girl towards him.

"Then tell me what I'm dreaming of right now." He whispers into Rhode's neck- she was a good head shorter than he was, and he found it easier to command her when height was at least to his advantage.

"Right now…" Rhode falters as she tries to imagine what Allen would dream about at the moment, but to no avail.

"So I was right." Allen mutters before he forces Rhode to tilt her head and press his lips onto hers. The kiss was chaste, short but still incredibly sweet. When they broke apart, Allen holds Rhode in his arms. " I want to thank you. For showing me my dream. And for saving me."

Rhode lets Allen hold her for a moment longer, then pushes him away with a gasp. She turns around then, holding her hands together behind her back. "This is goodbye, Allen. You really are… too kind." Her voice was even, and overwhelmingly sad.

"Rhode, wait!" Allen shouts, but the Noah was already gone.

--

There was no dramatic welcome when Allen awoke. It was simple really; his eyes suddenly blinked open and he had complete control over his body again. Slowly, he sits up, ignoring the pain in his middle. The full moon illuminates his room perfectly and he turns to face the window.

_Goodbye?

* * *

_AN: 1- The distant-sounding tone used in the first bit of the chapter is intentional. I wanted to mirror Allen's state of consciousness, so I hope it worked out.

2- SPOILER! Rhode's ability is the Dream of Noah, which means she can use dreams to hurt a person. Or she can lock someone into a dream world she created for them. /SPOILER I basically used my writer's liberty on her ability, making her able to go to different places, during different times and live in those dreams. I'm not too sure if she can go into the past, but that's what I wanted her to do.

3- The school bit of the dream are just fragments. The first section, when Allen and Rhode first arrive is the beginning of high school after the summer holiday. It's Rhode's first year, Rinali and Allen's second, and Ravi and Kanda's third. Jasdero and Dibitto are the only Noahs in my Highschool! AU because Tyki and Skin are both too old for high school. (I originally wanted Tyki to be a teacher there. but whatever) The twins are in Ravi and Kanda's year. The second section takes place during lunch on a day between the first day of school and Christmas. The last section, when everyone are friends is during Christmas, and Allen's birthday. Mana is there but not Cross because I totally believe Mana would not have died under different circumstances.

4- I can't call this an Allen x Rhode if he doesn't at least kiss her once. ... But I still think the kiss was OOC.

On another note, I am completely OBSESSED over the high school AU I created this chapter. Or just the idea of them in high school. Someone should totally write it.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: This is the fastest I've ever written. Less than a day! Well, this is a pretty short chapter, in all honesty. Updated as a present for the lovely Ale-chan!

* * *

Fading Gray 

Chapter 11

* * *

Five million kilometers away and in a different realm, Rhode awoke from her nap. Although there was a large fire burning beside her, Rhode felt incredibly cold. Yet when she pressed her icy fingers on her lips, it felt as if her fingertips would burn off. 

And for the first time in her life, she cried because of someone outside her family.

--

Rinali was next to ecstatic and relieved when she found Allen awake in the early morning light. Without a second thought, she embraced the younger boy, grinning brightly. "Thank goodness Allen!" she murmured into his neck.

Suddenly remembering the events before his dream, Allen timidly wrapped his arms around Rinali. " I'm sorry I made you worried."

Before Rinali could reply, Kanda and Ravi were by the door, leaning on either side of the doorframe. "You better be sorry, Beansprout, she ended up yelling at me and disrupting my sleep because of you." Kanda grumpily interrupted. However, he smirked when he saw Rinali glare at him with a blush on her cheeks.

Allen pretends to ignore the expression on Rinali's face, and that of Kanda's, as does Ravi. He smiles brightly at Kanda. " You brought it upon yourself, Feminine-face. But, thank you."

Caught off-guard by the unexpected gratitude, Kanda merely turned around to leave the room, dragging Ravi with him as he did. Ravi mocked-struggled against Kanda's grasp, laughing as he did. "Oy, Bakanda, I'm not some toy you can drag around!"

"Rinali, leave that Beansprout alone. He hasn't washed up yet." Kanda yelled behind his shoulder, ignoring his flailing friend. In the room, Rinali giggled, still sitting on Allen's bed. "Okay, Kanda!" she replied in playful obedience.

"You really startled him, for him to act like this." Rinali commented when she and Allen had finished laughing. "He was expecting a fight, but you thanked him instead." She hopped off the bed, grinning. " I'll let you wash up and change! We'll see you at the café, alright?"

Allen watched as Rinali skipped out of his room, and wondered why he felt so incredibly lonely when he saw Rinali blush. Then his eyes find the black, bloodstained cloth on the table beside his bed and he understands completely.

--

Slowly but surely, the seasons began to change. All too suddenly, autumn had blown his last breath, and was replaced by the harsh, relentless cold of winter. This was the time exorcists, finders and scientists alike hated. Missions took longer to finish because of the cold, and scientists would be swamped with work which needed to be completed before they can visit their families on that one, single blissful day. Nevertheless, as an attempt to jumpstart the holiday spirit, the building was decked in ceremonial garb, courtesy of Rinali, Miranda and whoever they were able to trick to help them set up the decorations. (Krory, Allen, Reever, Komui, Ravi and even Kanda) Little by little, Christmas cheer began to creep its way into the Order, and everyone found themselves waiting in anticipation for the first snow.

Allen, in particular, was waiting with the most anticipation; it was during the first snow of the month that Mana had given Allen his birth date. On his off days, he would sit by the window and stare idly at the sky, oftentimes with a strip of black cloth clenched in his fist, or spread out on the table in front of him. No one dared ask why Allen still kept the cloth with him, refusing to even wash the bloodstain out of it.

--

_"Allen, do you like playing in the snow?" Mana asked, watching the little boy in front of him with a fond smile._

_"Yeah! Very much so!" he answered back, spinning in circles with his tongue out, trying to catch an illusive snowflake._

_"Why?"_

_"Because it's so pretty. It's all white and sparkly, and so very pure. It reminds me of angels." Allen answered thoughtfully, stopping all play. 'But it doesn't last for a long time, so we have to appreciate it even more."_

_Mana laughed at his son's reply. "Then Allen, I've decided when it should be."_

_"When what would be?"_

_"Your birthday. It will be on December 25, Christmas day. It's the purest day of the year."_

_Allen grinned back at his father. "Christmas Day. I like it."_

--

In a twist of unbelievable luck, the Order had managed to track down the current whereabouts of Cross. They were skeptical of it at first, but it was the only clue they had to find Cross. The letter was addressed to Allen, and a return address was even included.

_'Master must be in a lot of debt, if he even had to include a return address.'_ Allen concluded his assumptions to be true when he found out the amount of money that his Master wanted him to send. Sighing, Allen crumpled the letter and threw it away; the money wouldn't be necessary so long as the mission went smoothly this time around.

Within a day, all preparations were made. It was decided that Allen, Ravi, Kanda and Rinali were to form a team and retrieve Cross. They could hardly believe that the general was only a ferry ride away.

In two days, they would be able to find him. Their destination was the Netherlands.

--

Rinali wasn't surprised when she saw the dark cloth fall out of Allen's coat pocket as they trudged through the muddy ground. Without a second glance, she quickened her pace to match Ravi's and Kanda's up ahead, leaving Allen behind to pickup the cloth. There was no point in asking, and no reason he had to find excuses. All three of them knew, to an extent, what was between Allen and the Noah. But as Rinali had ordered, they said nothing, and did not even hold a doubt against the young exorcist.

Rinali knew that no matter how often someone told you not to love that person, as long as you did, nothing could change it. But she also knew that Allen would never abandon his friends for something as dangerous as love.

At least she hoped, with all her heart he didn't.

--

When they arrived at the inn where Cross was said to be staying, there was no one. Not a single soul was in the area. The small town itself seemed almost deserted, if not for the few scattered people walking about. Looking through the logs of the innkeeper, Ravi found which room Cross was staying in.

Pushing the door open, Allen couldn't believe what he saw. It was too much, too _much like_ that time during his first mission with Rinali. She gasped when she saw the message, Ravi holding her shoulders. Kanda was staring intently at it, wondering why the drops of crimson on the floor seemed to disappear.

Written on the wall in blood was the message: " LET'S PLAY A GAME, EXORCISTS. HIDE AND SEEK. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. FIND ME IF YOU CAN"

* * *

AN: This chapter was amazingly short, I'm sure you all agree. However, it was probably one of the hardest to write (even if I did finish it in one day ) because I really didn't know how to link chap 10 to the end. The cloth, if anyone doesn't remember, is from Rhode's shirt when she saved Allen from the Akuma Tyki was using to help him kill Allen. And yes, I know that Bookman would most likely take it away and throw it out or something when he was done healing Allen, but whatever. Let's say he forgot about it, and left it on the table for Allen to conviently find. 

It's been snowing for a while now in Toronto. Chirstmas is among us!

I know it seems trivial right now when I added in the part of Mana making up Allen's birthday, but the whole "purity of snow" thing is pretty important to the end of the story. (and haha, I just kinda gave it away. )

And yes. Next chapter will be the last of this story! So stay tuned for it! ♥


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I've delayed the release of this chapter long enough. And I find this highly entertaining but, it's been exactly a year since I've created this story. (I totally did not plan it)

And yes, this is the LAST chapter of the story. And honestly, I've written parts of this long before I even started the first chapter, so yeah. Whatever. Enjoy

* * *

Fading Gray 

Chapter 12

* * *

The four exorcists sat scattered in the dingy room, discouraged in their pursuit of the General. Kanda had contacted Headquarters minutes after they were unable to decide what to do. It was painful to everyone in the room to admit their failure in the mission. 

And perhaps, they felt just a bit scared; Marian Cross was notorious for being the most elusive General of the Order, and consequently the strongest. (Allen can assert that belief, respectful of his Master's strength despite his womanizing ways.) Yet the small Noah girl was able to draw blood from the General.

It was the same girl that Allen had kissed – or imagined kissing just the night before.

--

He was staring out of the small window when his Akuma detection was activated. Allen needn't say a word, however. Everyone in the room heard the painful scream of a man who had met certain death. In a blink of an eye, the group had left the room.

--

They didn't know how they left such a large army of Akuma undetected. Wasting no time, the four exorcists activated their weapons; Rinali and Kanda promptly leapt into the sky, while Ravi and Allen attacked from the ground. Akuma exploded in the sky in brilliant flashes of white, fireworks against the blue of the sky. They defeated multitudes; however the army did not seem to decrease in size as they fought.

"There's just too many of them!" Rinali exclaimed landing briefly to catch her breath. Her comment did not go unheard as Ravi motioned for the group to hide underneath his Hammer.

"We must have destroyed hundreds by now," Ravi continued for Rinali. "Something must be creating more of them while we fight. It's the only way there can be so many." He and Kanda turned to look at Allen who had his head tilted up to scrutinize the millions of Akuma hovering above them. Rinali was also watching the Akuma, although she was more worried about how much more damage Ravi's weapon could sustain. In a flutter of her black skirt, Rinali left the makeshift refuge to enter the fray once more. At the exact moment, Allen had found what he was looking for.

"Some of these Akuma are fakes!" he exclaimed. "They're just clones; they're missing a soul." He scanned more of the army and in a fit of frustration leaped into the air to stand atop the head of Ravi's Hammer. "Found you." He muttered.

"He's at the back, it's a leve-"

"A what, Allen?" Ravi shouted. The white-haired boy was staring distantly, entranced. Forty feet below Allen, Ravi and Kanda was able to see Allen mutter something unintelligible while he stood atop the weapon. A stray Akuma decided to take advantage of the boy's vulnerability and readied its gun.

"Allen!" Rinali screamed from a distance away. She had watched the Akuma prepare to attack but was unable to defend her friend. She held her breath in anticipation and sighed in relief when she saw that Kanda had destroyed the Akuma in a cloud of dust.

"Stupid Beanspout, don't space out when you find something important!"

"Don't you hear it too? It's _her_ laugh!" Allen exclaimed, staring at the bewildered face of Kanda.

"I-! Um, nevermind." He leapt gracefully off the head of Ravi's Hammer, with Kanda trailing behind him. Rinali too, followed the actions of the two boys. Once all four exorcists were gathered, Allen continued describing his findings. "The Akuma is a level 2, at the very back." Allen explained after realizing no one except him could hear the laughter.

Up above and half hidden by the tall spruce trees in the distance, Allen could make out the flutter of a deep purple skirt. He glanced nervously at Ravi who was facing the same direction as Allen; the redhead didn't see the girl. He understood then what Rhode wanted him to do.

"I… I'm sorry everyone!" Allen apologized under his breath, and ran without a second glance towards the forest.

"Allen! Where are you going?" Rinali shouted at the back of her friend, hurrying to catch up to him. Two hands reached for her shoulder, stopping the girl in her tracks. She looked up angrily at the redhead who was staring at the distance, his hazel eyes following his friend.

"Let him go, Rinali."

There was a moment of heavy noise when Kanda unleashed yet another myriad of demons aimed at the hundreds of Akuma the team of three was left to face. Smirking as he saw his summons render their enemies into dust, he finished Ravi's thought, stating simply, "Allen needs to figure this out on his own."

Rinali didn't need to ask what 'this' was.

--

In the depths of the forest of evergreens, Allen fervently glanced around him, straining his ears to locate the whereabouts of the familiar chime-like giggle. The sound seemed to have enveloped him; soon Allen grew dizzy from the ringing.

"I'm here, Rhode. So show yourself!" Allen yelled at the gray sky, his frustration running high.

Then, quickly yet gradually, his world dissolved. Allen soon found himself in a vaguely familiar room. It was dark, illuminated by the hundreds of floating purple candles which had sharp tips at the end of them. The walls were wood, and behind him there was a framed picture of a skull hanging above his head. Dolls of various sizes lined the base of the wall.

For all the resemblance of a wall, Allen knew the structure he was standing in didn't truly exist. Hovering ever closer to him was a girl on an orange umbrella which was oddly quiet and subdued. Allen felt a wave of nostalgia when he saw that Rhode was wearing an exorcist's jacket.

"It's the perfect ending, don't you think?" Rhode gleefully greeted the exorcist, while pushing up the sleeves of her coat.

Allen ignored all the feelings swallowing him; his duty came first. "Where's my Master, Rhode?"

"Oh, don't worry. He's up there." Rhode gestured upwards. High above their heads was a cage hovering precariously. Allen saw the red of his master's hair, but couldn't determine his condition. He furrowed his brows, preparing his demand when he was interrupted by the Noah.

"I'm not giving the General to you without a fight." She began, smiling. "By the end of this, only one of us will be alive" She hopped off the umbrella and in an instant was at Allen's side, elongated nails pressed at his neck. "But of course, you wouldn't have the guts to fight me." Rhode whispered menacingly in Allen's ear. Grinning, she pressed her fingers slightly harder on his skin until she drew blood. Allen was too surprised to attack, only managing to cover his wounds dazedly as he stared at the young girl who was still smiling.

"I don't want to fight you, Rhode."

"Then that makes my job a lot easier then" Rhode answered without a pause. In a sweeping motion, she sent a myriad of sharp candles towards the exorcist. By instinct, he activated his weapon, creating a shield. But he wasn't ready for her next attack. Suddenly, Allen was aware of a pulsing pain in his right arm. He felt something warm slithering down his arm, leaving a sticky trail and eventually dripping off his fingers towards the ground.

She was now high in the air, on the floating umbrella. Her eyes never left Allen's form as she licked her hands of her opponent's blood. "As expected, your blood tastes the best."

Ignoring the pain from his arm, Allen rushed up at his opponent. On cue, his Claw appeared, and extended towards the girl. He pierced through her body, but retracted immediately after when he realized that Rhode didn't even try to avoid the blatant attack. He glared at her; a figure holding the bloody midsection, laughing manically.

Dark crosses were etched on Rhode's forehead when she looked up at Allen. "Alright then, Allen. Let's play our last game!"

"Game?"

Once more, Allen was plunged into a world of darkness.

--

The exorcist knew at once where he was just from the absence of his weapon. He saw three figures in the distance, running towards him. The shorter of the two was wearing a green plaid skirt, white dress shirt and as usual her calves were hidden by black, though this time they were socks, not boots. The other two sported green plaid pants, just like Allen.

"Why am I here?" Allen muttered to himself, still wondering what Rhode meant when she mentioned a game. His thoughts were broken however, by Rinali's shouts and the three's footsteps.

"We found you, Allen!" Rinali yelled in a sing-song voice.

"Oy, what a horrible hiding place!" Ravi commented, when they were beside him.

"Hiding place?"

"Well, yeah, we are playing hide and seek, you know?"

Allen immediately stared at Kanda, surprised that he would join in to such a silly game. He sighed and avoided Allen's inquiring gaze.

"Ah, Yuu here was dared by Rhode to play this game. By the way, we still have to find Rhode."

Finally understanding what game Rhode was mentioning before he was plunged into this alternate reality, Allen laughed, startling the three others with him. "If that's the case, let's go outside. I have a feeling she's hiding out there."

Obliging, the group moved out of the school building. Following their new-found leader, they made their way towards the nearby park, checking ever nook and cranny for the elusive girl.

"She's not here, chief!" Ravi reported, decidedly giving his underclassman the nickname due to general consensus that Allen knows Rhode best. Allen nodded at Ravi and thought for a moment, one hand at his chin.

"Then let's try the candy store."

"You really think she's going to be there? It's so far away!" Rinali commented. She, Ravi and Kanda now surrounded Allen.

"Uh, yeah. She loves candy right?" Allen replied back, half-wondering why his friends had suddenly enclosed on him. Suddenly, he felt hands on his shoulders, holding him down; they were Rinali's and Kanda's. Ravi, in front of him, grinned impishly as he held out a knife, poised ready to strike.

"We don't think so."

He didn't understand it himself, but somehow Allen had activated his Innocence, and was shielded by his Crown from the knife-now-turned-hammer. Behind him, Rinali had her Dark Boots activated and Kanda readied his Mugen. Taking a deep breath, Allen whispered goodbye and sorry to his otherworldly friends and unleashed the full effects of his Claw, blowing both Ravi and Kanda away. Rinali expertly dodged the attack, and in a flash was up against Allen. She attacked him before he could even recognize the danger aimed at him. Blown metres away by the force of the kick, Allen felt blood in his mouth and pain somewhere unknown. However, he wasn't able to find out; Kanda was soon at his side and Allen narrowly dodged his Mugen. Invoking three crosses, he bound his enemies in place, and ran towards his destination.

Allen didn't need to reach the candy store, however. Taking a path through the forest near the school, Allen found her, leaning against a tree. The sky was dark now, and the full moon was out, and its light was giving the forest a haunted allure.

She cocked her head slightly to the side, towards Allen. "You found me, Allen," she stated forlornly. The exorcist was surprised at the tears he saw streaming down her face.

"Rhode." Allen began, but could not find anything else to say. He made his way towards the girl; silently save for the soft crunch from the dead leaves on the ground. She allowed him to come close, and in a quick movement, latched on to him, her arms wrapping around his body tightly. Stunned, Allen simply allowed her to do as she pleased with him. Rhode tiptoed to reach his ear, still holding him close.

"If I give you your General, the war will definitely begin. It's already begun." Rhode whispered, her lips grazing Allen's ear gently. She paused, and said in a slightly louder voice, "And I'll tell you a little secret, exorcist.

"Without me, you are sure to win this war."

Allen, unaware of the small hands that were holding onto his Claw, was too slow to react when he felt his weapon lifted against his will. Rhode was strong, firm in her action; in a swift flourish, Allen felt his Claw rip through Rhode's entire body- he could tell she had aimed at a fatal area.

"No!" Allen wanted to shout, but his voice was gone. He muttered his disagreement instead, and was only quick enough to catch the girl before she fell towards the hard ground. In that instant, the dark world gradually grew lighter and lighter until Allen and Rhode were back in the real reality; in the true forest. Rero hovered above Rhode's head, crying noisily.

"Rhode-sama, why did you do that? I told you you shouldn't do that! You should've followed the Earl's directions!"

"Go away, Rero." Rhode managed to order, albeit weakly. Rero understood the predicament, and nodded- Rhode had told him of her plan before she had managed to capture the General. The orange umbrella floated away, leaving the two enemies alone.

Rhode shivered then, and it was only at that moment did Allen realize the ground was covered with soft whiteness, tainted red where Rhode laid. It was the first snowfall of the season, but it brought Allen none of its usual joy. He clutched at Rhode's outstretched hand and felt tears fall down his face. Rhode laughed.

"Stupid humans, crying whenever someone dies."

"They only cry because they care."

"It's because they're weak." Rhode argued, coughing. Blood trickled from her mouth; years of playing with her dolls told her that she didn't have long to live- her lungs were slowly filling up with blood, and she knew soon she would suffocate from it. "I don't even know why you're fighting for them.

"But since you are, you might as well win."

"Rhode, you-!" Allen gasped, finally understanding the reason behind Rhode's strange behavior during their conversation nights ago.

"Allen, in this war, don't forget your name, okay? Allen Walker; keep heading forwards, and don't look back. But you know, don't forget to take it easy sometimes too- what was that saying? Stop to eat some candy?" The exorcist could feel her body grow colder by the second; the warm blood soon melted the snow around her.

"You mean, stop to smell the flowers, right?"

"Why would you do that? Flowers are stupid- candy's much better." Rhode scrunched up her nose in disgust at the idea of wasting time for flowers. She laughed then, and her bell-like laugh mixed with Allen's deeper one in a harmonious melody. A moment of silence passed between them before Allen felt it necessary to fill up the void.

"Rhode, I lo-" Allen began, but was interrupted by a slender finger pressed against his lips. She smiled when Allen nodded in comprehension and coughed once more. She was gasping for air now, struggling against the pool of blood in her lungs. "Tyki is still after you, so be careful. But don't tell him I told you that, alright?"

Then in a quieter voice, almost impossible to hear, Rhode closed her eyes and mumbled, "And it's about time for Noah to forget and forgive him."

Allen had felt her life slip away. In that instance, he brought her body close to his, ignoring the blood that would stain his coat and pressed his lips lightly against those of the Noah. He licked his lips afterwards, and tasted blood- _her blood_ and he savored its taste. He left her body momentarily, when he spotted the cage that held his unconscious master. Tugging at the door, he realized that it was unlocked, and he smiled sadly at that knowledge. _Rhode had planned this all along._

At that moment, he heard muffled footsteps behind him, it was his team mates. Rinali gasped when she saw the Noah girl dead and bloody on the snow, Allen's tear-marked face and the General slumped over his shoulder. The cage disappeared the moment Allen retrieved his master. Ravi rushed to help Allen lift the General; Allen left the redhead with Cross and carefully picked up Rhode's body, avoiding the inquiring stares his friends.

A funeral was held that day, the grave of Rhode was quickly buried with white snow and Allen thought it ironic that Rhode, a child of Noah and one of the Earl's family was buried under such purity; had died on the blessed first day of snow.

"Goodbye, Rhode" Allen whispered, caressing the makeshift tombstone tenderly. He didn't feel the need to say anymore than that; they both knew what they felt was mutual. He got up, and left to find the others.

The next day, they arrived at the Order with General Cross safely with them.

* * *

AN: Why yes, I did kill Rhode off. And yes, it was always going to end like this. (Don't act like I didn't warn you Remember the allusion to Romeo and Juliet? Or the whole sigificance of snow stuff? ) But to be honest, that's how I can only see this pair, if it's realistic. One of them will die. Allen's not about to give up his duty as an exorcist though, and Rhode's terrified of being human/ humanity, although she's already feeling herself becoming more human because of this relationship. I have a pretty good explanation, but I'd rather not write it out; it just might bore some people.

Since this is the last chapter, I'd be more than happy to answer your reviews So** review** with any questions, concerns, comments, or even requests and I'll answer them all You can even ask me about my reasoning for this ending.

Before you guys ask though: There is an epilogue written for this. Hence my 'double update' declaration. Just as a note, what Rhode says at the end, _"It's about time Noah forgive and forget him."_ will be important in the epilogue. Or at least it'll help explain why Rhode is.. well, the whole process of awakening as a Noah is more mild than in the manga, how it showed Skin's awakening.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: I couldn't let the story end the way it did. Fading Gray could litterally have two different endings, one with the epilogue (a slightly happier ending) or one where Rhode is indefinitly dead, and the war is starting. And that the relationship between Allen and Rhode was just a step towards that.

I definitely like this ending more. Not because it's happier, but because it's more indefinite in where the relationship will go, but more conclusive to the whole issue of the war.

* * *

Fading Gray 

Epilogue

* * *

There were stories parents told their children before they go to sleep, stories that all children who had the privilege to hear loved. The story told of a group of holy men and women who had to fight against the evil of the world, monsters that loved nothing more than to hunt humans. This group of people faced all sorts of challenges, fought all sorts of battles, in order to protect humanity. 

Of course, there were various versions of the story. The monsters ranged from dark shadows to vampires that will suck you dry, to the bone. However, the most popular and known monster was the ugly machine-like being that will sprout from your body if you were bad. They were the minions of the main enemy of the group, vile creatures that can easily cause the death of an entire village.

It was inevitable that there was a war between the forces of good and evil. The holy group of priests and priestesses fought valiantly against the wretched beings that hoped to cause the end of humans, and the world. And due to their courage, they won. But they did not stay to celebrate their victory; before the world was put back in order and before they could be named the saviors of the world, the group disappeared.

This story excited many children- the very idea of fighting the bad of the world, the idea of saving the world appealed to them easily.

However, they didn't know that the story was real, that the war had only ended five years ago.

--

It was a gray, dreary, intolerably cold winter day in London. A man, no more than twenty three years old walked down a stone path lined with increasingly brown snow, dirty mush that squished and stained his black boots with every step. The man hated days like this, downcast days that did not do justice to the holiday season. Particularly today, the supposed happiest day of the year- Christmas. Less known, and slightly less important, it was his birthday; the reason why he cut his business trip short to be back in London, in order to celebrate it with his friends.

People on the streets stared at the man wearing a black suit and matching gloves. His coat was detailed with silver, reminiscent of the one he wore what seemed like decades ago, but most astonishing, although handsome and without a doubt in the prime of his life, the man already had hair as white as snow. They were also wary of his strange pentacle tattoo on his eye; he seemed more like a clown dressing up as a business person instead. He ignored all the stares directed at him, until he saw someone with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a long beige coat and a brooding expression. The eccentric looking man's expression immediately changed; he was grinning like a madman at the sight of his friend.

"Kanda!"

Kanda, who was leaning against a nondescript building's wall, nodded his head slightly to show his acknowledgement. People were surprised to know that the young man knew Kanda, one of Britain's most talented military officials. Without a word however, the two friends set off towards the hidden fortress on the mountain.

It wasn't long until the pair was interrupted in their silence by a group of rowdy kids. The children, dressed in tattered clothes and thin jackets were filthy and obviously part of less well-off families. It wasn't their appearance that drew Allen's attention to them though, rather, it was the words they were saying, laughing tauntingly and pointing at something in the middle of the group.

"Haha, what a freak, right Tom?"

"What do you mean 'you're special'? Your parents abandoned you here, remember?"

Intrigued and slightly angered, Allen strayed from the path towards the kids; Kanda grudgingly followed. Walking nearer to the group, Allen noticed that the 'something' the children were pointing at was really a girl, sobbing in her hands. He immediately felt a familiarity towards her, and made his way closer to the group.

"What are you kids doing?" Allen began, in a mood to reprimand the abusive children. Kanda stood by, slightly annoyed at how Allen seemed to always make himself part of someone else's business.

The leader of the group, a little boy with brown hair and dirt-smudged cheeks looked up at the two adults, recognizing that both of them were of high status. He swallowed and prepared an answer in his most polite voice. "It's nothing sirs, just, she stole our food!"

"That's no reason for you to make fun of her. Look, she's crying."

"You don't understand sir. She's just arrived at this town, and she's been causing trouble everywhere. And look! She's so queer-looking!"

The girl, aware that the boys had left her alone, stopped her cries and looked up. Allen followed the boy's pointed finger, his gaze landing at the girl. She had shoulder length disheveled hair what was unusually black for someone English, immense amber eyes and olive skin. Under different circumstances, Allen was sure she would be extremely pretty. "I don't see anything wrong with her."

The leader of the group made a motion and two of the group moved beside her. In a sweep, they removed the bangs covering her forehead, revealing small crosses that looked chiseled into her skin. She quickly avoided his stare, painfully aware of her awkwardness. Allen and Kanda recognized the markings at once, both of them gasping at the image. The girl immediately shook her head, forcing the boys to let her bangs go and hid her face in her knees. Ignoring Kanda's obvious glare and _look_ which meant to say 'leave her alone, she's the enemy and we shouldn't associate with her', Allen turned to face the little boy in front of him. "So she's a little different. It's hardly any reason to tease her about. Now, it's getting late, you kids better head back home, alright?"

The kids knew an order when they heard it. They obeyed without another word.

Once the children were gone, Allen made his way towards the desolate girl. However, something stopped him- it was Kanda, who caught hold of Allen's gloved hand. Surprised, Allen looked up at the older man, though understanding his position. "Beansprout, that's not _her_ anymore."

Allen tugged his arm away, smiling. "I know, Kanda." After Rhode's death, Allen had told his friends of their estranged relationship; while the others didn't understand, nor could most of them even accept such a relationship's existence, they grew to ignore the story, or to grudgingly respect the sacrifice of the Noah. To Kanda however, surprising even Allen, he understood and accepted the idea of them the easiest. It made sense to him, they were like the ancient balance between yin and yang; or at most, he respected the pride and trust the Noah girl had in Allen, for Allen. That didn't mean he approved of their relationship though, and even now, years after the war, he still regards the Noah as the enemy.

In a swift, fluid movement, Allen took off his jacket and draped the heavy cotton over the girl's head. She looked up then, enveloped by the warmth still within the jacket and saw a soft smile. She clutched at her shoulders to stop the coat from falling to the ground; to try and keep the warmth from escaping just a bit longer. "Mister, why did you give me your coat?"

"It's winter." Allen replied simply, still smiling. Behind him, Kanda sighed, and leaned against the wall of the building beside him.

"But I'm… different. Why don't you ignore me like the rest of the adults?"

"Because there's no shame in being different." The girl stared at him in disbelief. Sighing, Allen brought up his left arm to face the girl and slowly pulled the glove off, revealing blood red flesh, a cross on the back of his hand and bony fingers. The girl gasped. "I'm just as weird, right?"

She reached up to touch the sinewy arm, pausing just slightly to ask for permission. It was warm, but incredibly rough, and she relished the feeling of being with another person who accepted her for her strangeness. Hesitantly, she introduced herself. "My name is Andrea. My parents abandoned me three months ago because of my marks and my weird… behavior."

"What weird behavior?" Allen asked, surprised and curious.

"Sometimes I say things… that I don't mean to say. And sometimes I have memories of something I never seen or shouldn't know. It's almost like I have a different person in me."

Allen nodded in understanding; Rhode had once mentioned about 'awakening' her memories as the first Noah child. Unable to say anything about the matter though, Allen merely stood up and stretched his hand, now gloved, at Andrea. She blinked, but accepted albeit reluctantly. "Are you sure? Your friend doesn't seem to like me, mister."

Allen made a sideways glance at Kanda, and laughed, while pulling the girl up. "Don't worry about him, he always looks that sour. And please don't call me 'mister', you can call me Allen."

Andrea obeyed, still clutching his hand as they made their way down the road, with Kanda in tow, arms crossed.

--

"Rinali." Kanda called, once the three were through the main doors of the Order. Allen chuckled at Andrea's awed gasps when she saw the largeness of the building; it was like a castle to her.

Within moments, Rinali was at the entranceway, with Ravi behind her. Her expression was one of immense joy and excitement, mirrored by Ravi when they saw who was with Kanda. "Allen!" she exclaimed, running into an embrace. While returning the hug, Allen also replied to Ravi's casual greeting.

"And Beansprout brought something with him." Kanda muttered, while unbuttoning his coat. Instantly, Rinali stepped away from the businessman and saw, still holding his hand, a little girl. Both she and Ravi stared at the child, then at Allen.

"Hi! I'm Andrea!" she volunteered, hoping to break the sudden tension. Allen avoided their gaze, and then met them with a strong resolve. "Yeah." He answered the hidden question.

Rinali accepted the answer without question, and gave her attention to Andrea. "Andrea, is it? Oh my, look at your clothes. Come, I'll get you something warmer." She gently led the girl up the stairs, leaving the three men behind her.

"You're sure." It wasn't a question, more of a statement, an observation made by Ravi.

Allen nodded, not wishing to explain anymore of his decision. They already knew _why_ he wanted her to live with them. Chuckling uncomfortably, he decided to change the topic. "I'm starved. I wonder what's Rinali making for dinner? And you all have to fill me in on what you did these past months, I've missed so much! How's your book going, Ravi?" Kanda had disappeared to his room while Allen rambled.

Years of friendship told Ravi to not poke into the matter so soon. He took Allen's offer and gladly decided to show him the newest installment to his novel in progress; Allen followed him to his office.

--

Dinner was delicious, and a joyous affair- their small family was semi-together once more, the only missing member being Komui. The four friends filled Allen out on the recent happenings of their lives, and of the lives of their other friends- exorcists, scientist or finder alike that had recommenced their lives once more after the war. They of course did not forget about Andrea, and at random intervals, Rinali or Ravi would inquire a bit about Andrea's past, herself, or her family.

They decided (including Kanda) that Andrea, although having a connection to the Noah family, was a charming and sweet child, who deserved to have a family, no matter how dysfunctional they were.

The four adults concluded the feast with a toast of red wine (a present from Cross, who had surprisingly remembered the holiday and Allen's birthday).

--

She found him sitting outside the terrace; the forest and training grounds to his left and right respectively. He was staring peacefully at the starry sky, ignorant of the icy coldness.

"What are you doing, Allen?" She inquired, while pushing his coat at him. He laughed and accepted the offering.

"Stargazing. I'm trying to find a constellation."

"Oh, what's that?" Andrea, hoisted atop the balcony of the terrace was now staring at the sky as well.

"It's when stars connect to make a picture." Allen answered without missing a beat. "Look over there, that's the Big Dipper see? It's like a giant spoon."

Andrea nodded, and continued her observations. She was in awe at how close and beautiful the stars were that night, on the mountain and from the crisp December air. "Which constellation are you looking for then?"

"Andromeda." He paused, focusing his attention at a faraway point. "Ah, I found it, its right there." He pointed at a distant area to his right. Andrea strained in her seat and squinted.

"What's it suppose to look like? It looks like a blob of shiny to me."

Allen chuckled, and leaned against the railing. He wrapped one arm around the girl to make sure she wouldn't fall and rested his head on the other. "Andromeda is a Greek princess who was saved by a warrior from the evil sea beast. At least that's what the myth was."

"What happened to her after?"

"She married the warrior and lived happily ever after."

"Oh." She thought about the story for a while then smiled. "I like that story."

"You do now?" Allen raised an eyebrow playfully. "And what were you doing, looking for me?" He asked after a pause.

"To thank you." She replied simply.

"Thank me? For what?"

"For saving me." Allen, for all his years of experience could hardly react when the child leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. It was chaste, lasting for only a second, but the warmth was there. And Allen stared in surprise at the smiling girl in front of him. "Thank you, Allen." She whispered playfully.

There was a flicker of a moment when Allen recognized the presence of the other girl. The other being within Andrea who will inevitably be part of Andrea, who was never forgotten by Allen, or the Order. He smiled and lifted the child back to the ground. "It's getting late. Let's go get some sleep, shall we?"

Andrea nodded, and grasped Allen's hand as they headed back into the building.

* * *

AN: Writing the Andromeda part was fun; I totally didn't plan Andrea's name to be a mirror of Andromda, the name of the princess. And I didn't even know if I wanted to use the reference again. But it seemed kinda useless to me if I mentioned it before, and it never played a part in the conclusion. And voila, Rhode now lives on as Andrea. It's still Allen x Rhode... in essence.

And really, it's more like a second chance for them. For their relationship, and for the Noah. Now that they know the existance of Noah are still around, maybe they'll go around finding the Noah children and raising them to love humans and humanity; just so they won't be against the Order anymore, or someone like the Earl can't use them for their own gain.

Boy, did that feel like the 'nature vs. nurture' arguement there. haha.I totally side with nurture.

And the whole '5 years into the future' thing was playing with my mind ages ago. I even had jobs that the main exorcists could be: Kanda is obviously a military person (as mentioned here), Rinali is a nurse! (for obvious reasons) and Ravi is a tie between a writer and a history teacher. I chose writer because of an icon I have of Ravi. Allen was the only hard one, I couldn't see Allen as anything BUT an exorcist, but I decided, since he can play his cards, he might as well be a business person (because he can play his cards right[ bad pun).

Writing this was a great experience. I feel that my writing style really did evolve from what it was before, and I feel glad that I contributed into making this pairing a little more popular. At least more people know about this pair. And it was really fun too. That's why, for anyone who's interested, I'm playing with the idea of writing a series of short stories that occur during the same timeline as Fading Gray. It'll be more focused on other characters though, and it'll be a variety of pairings. Or none at all, depending. _**Review and comment if you have any qualms to that idea **_


End file.
